Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron recently responded to an article covered by Rolling Stone this week that reported that the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins wanted to tour less with the Dave Grohl-led rock band before his death.
The Rolling Stone article, “Inside Taylor Hawkins’ Final Days as a Foo Fighter,” featured parts of an interview with Cameron, the Pearl Jam drummer also known for his work in Soundgarden and who collaborated with Hawkins in Nighttime Boogie Association. It included further quotes from others said to be close to Hawkins, the musician who unexpectedly died at 50 in March, all seemingly supporting what was reportedly his desire to cut back on Foo Fighters shows.
Matt Cameron issues apology statement
In a statement on Tuesday, May 17, a day after the story emerged, Cameron suggested his words from his interview were used against him, and he apologized to surviving Foo Fighters members and their families.
“When I agreed to take part in the Rolling Stone article about Taylor, I assumed it would be a celebration of his life and work. My quotes were taken out of context and shaped into a narrative I had never intended. Taylor was a dear friend, and a next level artist. I miss him. I have only the deepest love and respect for Taylor, Dave and the Foo Fighters families. I am truly sorry to have taken part in this interview and I apologize that my participation may have caused harm to those for whom I have only deepest respect and admiration.”
In the story Monday, Cameron told Rolling Stone that Hawkins confided to him he “had a heart-to-heart with Dave and, yeah, he told me that he ‘couldn’t fu**ing do it anymore’ — those were his words.”
Cameron continued, “It just seems like the touring schedule got even crazier after that. … He tried to keep up. He just did whatever it took to keep up, and in the end he couldn’t keep up.”
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins shockingly passed away at the age of 50. The band was due to play on the same day of his death. The Foos were scheduled to play at the Festival Estereo Picnic in Bogota, Colombia. This led to the band canceling the rest of their South American tour.
The cause of Hawkins’ death is still not officially confirmed, but there are reports. ‘According to those close to him, the death could be related to the consumption of drugs.’ The Daily Mail reported this alleged statement. He had a history of drug abuse.
White powder ‘similar to cocaine’, and hallucinogens, were allegedly found in the five-star Casa Medina hotel room of Hawkins. Highly respected Colombian journalist Luis Carlos Velez, the Bogota-based director of radio station FM recently claimed that a police officer who entered Hawkins’ room had told prosecutors he saw a ‘cocaine-like’ white powder. Foo Fighters have canceled their 2022 tour dates.
