Taylor Hawkins' son Oliver Shane Hawkins joined Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters as they headlined a star-studded charity concert dedicated to the late drummer.
The group performed several of their hits at the show, which took place at Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 3 and marked the band's first gig since Taylor's death. While performing "My Hero," Hawkins' son Oliver Shane Hawkins drummed with the group, taking his late father's place. The 16-year-old musician had also performed the song with the band The Alive during a Fourth of July party in California.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have one more drummer that's going to come up and play with us," Dave said before welcoming the teen to the stage. "And let me tell you I don't think I've ever seen anyone hit the drums as hard as this person, but beyond that, he's a member of our family. And he needs to be here tonight with all of us, and I think it makes sense that he's going to come up and play with us tonight."
Dave became emotional several times during the show, starting from the beginning, when he and the Foo Fighters welcomed the cheering crowd.
With his voice wavering, the singer told the audience, "Ladies and gentleman, tonight, we are gathered here to celebrate the life, the music and the love of our dear friend, our band mate, our brother, Taylor Hawkins. For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could. And for those of those that admired him from afar, I'm sure you've all felt the same thing."
Later, during the band's performance of "Times Like These," Dave became overcome with emotion, pausing for a few seconds to wipe away tears and take a few breaths before continuing the song.
The tribute concert in London also featured performances from the frontman's daughter Violet Grohl, as well as the likes of Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee, Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Supergrass, Travis Barker, Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor and Van Halen musician and the late Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen.
Taylor died at age 50 in a hotel room in Colombia on March 25, hours before Foo Fighters were set to play a show. The Colombian Attorney General's Office later said toxicology results showed that he had drugs in his system at the time of his death, but did not reveal the cause of his passing. The case remains under investigation.