Watch 1,000 Musicians Cover Foo Fighters' 'My Hero' in France to Honor the Late Taylor Hawkins

Daniela Avila
·2 min read
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Fans of the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins continue to spread the love.

More than a thousand musicians gathered Saturday, May 21, at Stade de France, a national stadium in Paris, to perform "My Hero" in honor of Hawkins, who died at age 50 on March 25.

The performance came from a massive band called the Rockin'1000, which consists of musicians from 25 different countries. More than 50,000 people gathered to watch.

The band was initially launched to lure the Foo Fighters to the small town of Cesena, Italy, in 2015. However, due to the pandemic, this performance marked their first time getting together in three years. Rockin'1000 was also subject to a 2020 documentary titled We Are the Thousand.

Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins

Kevin Winter/Getty Taylor Hawkins

RELATED: Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins' Life in Photos

During their set, the band performed 21 songs that included covers of The Who, Rage Against the Machine, Pink Floyd, The White Stripes, and Guns N' Roses in addition to Foo Fighters.

Hawkins died in Bogotá, Colombia, on March 25 after complaining of chest pains at his hotel. A preliminary urine toxicology test found 10 different substances in his body, including THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids, according to the Attorney General's Office of Colombia.

The Foo Fighters — consisting of Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, and Rami Jaffee — confirmed the loss of Hawkins in a statement shared on their Twitter account.

"The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," the message read. "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

Since his death, friends and fellow musicians have expressed their grief and honored the late drummer's life. Most recently, the Red Hot Chili Peppers stepped in to play the Foo Fighters' closing set at Jazz Fest in New Orleans.

RELATED VIDEO: John Stamos Shares Video Message from Late Foo Fighters Rocker Taylor Hawkins: 'Miss You Pal'

"We love the Foo Fighters and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins," drummer Chad Smith said at the end of the May 1 set, according to NOLA.com. "It's meant a lot for us to be able to play for them."

Smith, 60, played with a drumkit that featured Taylor's name inside a hawk silhouette, and also reportedly led the crowd in a cheer of, "We love you, Taylor!"

Foo Fighters frontman Grohl and Hawkins' widow Alison were present for the performance, and watched from the wings, according to NOLA.com.