- Before Tuesday’s cancellation, the Foo Fighters had been scheduled to perform at a Paraguay music festival.
- A 9-year old fan played songs by Nirvana and the Foo Fighters on drums outside their hotel.
- After Taylor Hawkins’ drumming caught his eye, the young girl was introduced to Taylor Hawkins.
Three days before Taylor Hawkins’ death, a young Foo Fighters fan shared an uplifting moment with Taylor Hawkins.
The Foo Fighters were to headlinethe Asunciónico FestivalOn Tuesday, the largest Paraguay rock festival,, was cancelled due to severe weather. However, that didn’t deter 9-year-old Sofía Emma, who looks up to the band.
“She was inspired to play drums by her uncle, who is a drummer and a big fan of the Foo Fighters,”Julio Peralta was Emma’s father. CNN.
—Julius (@Julius_GPC) March 23, 2022
Peralta said that a friend of hers knew the address of the hotel where the band was staying. So they went and grabbed Emma’s drum set and headed to the hotel hoping to meet the Foo Fighters. The outlet reported that Emma, who’s been playing drums for two years, set up her kit outside among the other waiting fans and performed songs — by the Foo Fighters and Nirvana — as the crowd cheered.
Hawkins noticed the music and was inspired to walk down from his hotel to meet the people. CNN reported that Hawkins first apologized to the crowd for cancelling the show. Then he met Emma.
—Julius (@Julius_GPC) March 23, 2022
According to the outlet, Emma was carried by her fans over a barricade in order to make this once-in-a lifetime moment possible. Peralta posted a photo of Emma and Hawkins on Twitter to celebrate the occasion.
“Since my daughter found out that the Foo Fighters were coming, she started a campaign to meet them,” PeraltaWriteon Twitter. “Today we take his drums to play in front of the Sheraton and look who came out at his call. Dreams come true.”
Insider reached out to Peralta and Hawkins representatives but they did not immediately reply.
Three days later, the Foo Fighters’ official Twitter page revealed that Hawkins died at the age of 50 in Bogota, Colombia. Officials in Colombia said that Hawkins suffered from chest pains and an ambulance was dispatched to his hotel. Officials stated that Hawkins was not declared dead by emergency crews.
Later, Colombian investigators discovered that Hawkins was using 10 drugs at the time of Hawkins’ death. A urine toxicology report revealed that Hawkins had been taking antidepressants and marijuana. BBC reported that the cause was not yet determined and that drugs may have been a factor.
Peralta stated to CNN that Emma was performing at local restaurants when Peralta learned of the news.
In an InstagrampostEmma and her loved ones paid tribute to Hawkins Saturday.
“There are no words to describe what we feel. We are devastated to hear of the passing of Taylor Hawkins, our thoughts are with his loved ones and fans,”The caption says.
The caption continued: “We will remember him for his charisma and the beautiful gesture he had with Emma. Taylor gave us something to believe in. He was, is and always will be an inspiration.”