Taylor Hawkins’ Friends Claim The Late Drummer Was Vocal About His Struggle With Foo Fighters’ Touring Schedule: He ‘Couldn’t F**king Do It Anymore’

In a new report by Rolling Stone, a number of close friends of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins revealed that the late rocker was uncomfortable with the band’s intense touring schedule, sharing that he struggled to meet the physical demands of the job, for which he normally performed three-hour concerts night after night.

“Hawkins felt hesitant about returning to the road and wasn’t sure he’d be able to remain a full-time member if they continued to tour at this pace,” the report claims.

According to Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, who has been one of Hawkins’ closest friends for decades, the 50-year-old drummer had a conversation with the band’s frontman Dave Grohl regarding his discomfort on tour.

“He had a heart-to-heart with Dave [Grohl] and, yeah, he told me that he ‘couldn’t f**king do it anymore’ – those were his words,” Cameron told Rolling Stone. “So I guess they did come to some understanding, but it just seems like the touring schedule got even crazier after that.”

A representative for Foo Fighters denied that the issues were ever brought up, saying, “There was never a ‘heart-to-heart’ – or any sort of meeting on this topic – with Dave and [Silva Artist Management].”

Hawkins’ former boss and longtime friend, singer Sass Jordan, added that he was “just so tired. Tired of the whole game.”

Another colleague and friend of Hawkins, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that “the fact that [Hawkins] finally spoke to Dave was freeing for him. That took f***ing balls. That did take a year of working up the guts to do.”

As multiple claims from Hawkins’ friends supported the fact that he wanted a change, a Foo Fighters representative continued to deny such assertions saying that, “He never ‘informed Dave and [management]’ of anything at all like that.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith shared that Hawkins was “exhausted and collapsed,” adding that he was “dehydrated and pumped full of IVs.” Following the incident, Hawkins reportedly told Smith, “I can’t do it like this anymore.”

“This is not true,” a Foo Fighters rep commented on such allegations that Hawkins had lost consciousness on a plane.

Last June, when Foo Fighters’ kicked off their post-pandemic comeback tour, which has since been cancelled, Hawkins told Rolling Stone that he was “really nervous” ahead of the band’s first night back onstage.

“I have major stage fright…Like, I’m in hell right now,” he said at the time.

On the night before Hawkins’ death, he left behind an audio file of drums in his final message to producer Andrew Watt, suggesting he should “make something out of this with one of your artists.”

Rolling Stone reported that Hawkins’ family members and his bandmates, along with their management, have declined the publication’s request for interviews regarding the claims.