In a recent interview with Drumeo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith shared a heartfelt story about the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and recalled the moment he asked Hawkins to be the Godfather of his son Beckett.
Chad and Taylor first met during the mid-1990s, and their friendship deepened when the Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers toured together in 1999 and 2000. Smith described Hawkins as a fantastic person and an incredible musician whose loss he still feels daily. The two drummers’ bond extended beyond their shared profession, with Smith trusting Hawkins enough to ask him to take on the significant role of Godfather.
Smith recounted the light-hearted exchange when he asked Hawkins to be his second son Beckett’s Godfather. Despite the humor in their conversation about not knowing a Godfather’s role, Chad emphasized how much he missed Taylor and his presence in everyday life.
Chad Smith’s words about the time he asked Taylor Hawkins to be his son’s godfather follow:
“Later, of course, he joined the Foo Fighters, and we toured with them quite a bit 99 in 2000, and that’s when we became really close, and he’s just like he was an amazing person, and I love him miss him so much. Hey, can you say, ‘Oh, I miss someone every day?’ I never thought about him every day when he was here, but I literally, like, for the past year… It’s weird, man, it’s so weird.”
He recalled:
“I asked him to be the Godfather of my son Beckett our second son. I said, ‘Taylor do you think you would be the Godfather for Beckett?’ and he’s like, ‘Well yeah yeah, what do I have to do?’ ‘I don’t really know, God. I think nothing.’ He goes, ‘I can do that, yeah I got that, no problem.’ So he’s funny as f*ck man and just an amazing musician. I miss him.”
The drummer’s recollection reflected the powerful bonds formed between musicians and the lasting impact they can have on one another’s lives. The music world continues to mourn the loss of Taylor Hawkins, but stories like these provide a glimpse into the love and camaraderie between him and his fellow artists.
