RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS‘ Chad Smith has apologized to Taylor Hawkins‘s family for the comments he made about the late FOO FIGHTERS drummer in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone published an article which contained claims made by a number of people, including several of Hawkins‘s best friends, that in the months leading up to his death he felt hesitant about returning to the road after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and wasn’t sure he would be able to remain a full-time member of the FOO FIGHTERS if they continued to tour at the same pace.
In the article, Smith confirmed that Hawkins lost consciousness on board a plane in Chicago last December. News reports from the time described him anonymously as “a member of FOO FIGHTERS.” “He just said he was exhausted and collapsed, and they had to pump him full of IVs and stuff. He was dehydrated and all kinds of stuff.” After the incident, Smith said Hawkins told him, “I can’t do it like this anymore.”
Now, Smith released the following statement via social media: “Taylor was one of my best friends and I would do anything for his family. I was asking by Rolling Stone to share some memories of our time together, which I thought was going to be the loving tribute he deserved. Instead, the story they wrote was sensationalized and misleading, and had I known I never would have agreed to participate. I apologize to his family and musical friends for any pain.”
