What a tragedy. 50 yrs young – Taylor Hawkins, hall of fame drummer for the Foo Fighters, found dead in his hotel room in Colombia, just before an upcoming performance.
I wanted to address this tragic news from 2 diff angles that must be discussed – bc they’re not discussed enough:
1) When we think of Rock Stars – we think of “sex, drugs, and rock & roll.” The party life. That extends to rock stars in the traditional sense: those who perform on stage. But…the term “rock star” often refers in a slang sense, to anyone living a fast-paced, high-intensity lifestyle, whether in the public eye/not. We refer to finance execs, bc of their lavish lifestyles as “rock stars.”
What’s scary w that interpretation is – the sex, drugs and rock & roll lifestyle APPEARS to be all abt partying. Abt having fun. Do we ever stop to think – it may be a life out of control, finding vices to escape emotional pain of the past? Not saying that’s THE case w Hawkins, but consider this:
In 2001 after overdosing in London, Hawkins spent 2 wks in a coma. Afterwards he said:
“I’m not here to preach abt not doing drugs…but I just got out of control for a while & it almost got me. I was heading down a road that was going to lead to even worse paths.”
Partier? Or using drugs for other reasons? Interesting choice of words from Hawkins.
2) In today’s news world – there’s no longer privacy. Bc of access & social media, even sensitive news leaks. In the articles I read:
“According to those close to him, the death could be related to the consumption of narcotic substances.” But they cautioned: “The cause of death has yet to be established.”
This man was found in his hotel room! Friends & authorities are already talking abt substances. It’s true that may not be fair, but when ppl have a mic & a camera, they sadly use it.
I think we’re better as a society, & learn from losses, when they’re addressed by the fam/those close to the deceased, than when it’s covered up. When it’s a mystery, there are MORE rumors, less understanding, less change for the better. I hope we learn from/honor Hawkins in the coming days, w transparency abt what happened.
