Honoring a legacy. Josh Freese is taking a seat behind the Foo Fighters’ drum kit after the death of Taylor Hawkins last year.
The news was first announced during the Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts livestream on Sunday, May 22, where fans could catch a glimpse of a studio session at Studio 606 via Twitter. While the band — frontman Dave Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, lead guitarist Chris Shiflett, guitarist Pat Smear and keyboardist Rami Jaffee — teased who would join them on their upcoming tour, Freese, 50, was ultimately revealed as the official replacement.
“Um, excuse me,” he quipped as the camera panned to him behind his drum set. “Guys, could we just like, I don’t know, play a song? Or two, something?”
“Oh, sure, of course, Josh,” Grohl, 54, agreed before jumping into their hit song “All My Life.”
While it remains unclear if Freese will be a permanent member of the legendary rock group moving forward — he would be the third drummer for the band after Hawkins and William Goldsmith — he will be filling in for the upcoming live shows, which kick off in New Hampshire on Wednesday, May 24.
The tour, which will feature songs from their new EP, But Here We Are, won’t be the first time Freese has joined the Foo Fighters on stage. Following Hawkins’ passing in March 2022 —The Texas native was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia, in March 2022 while on tour with the rock band — the session drummer joined them on stage for both of their memorial shows, including the September 2022 Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium in London. (In addition to playing with the Foo Fighters, Freese has also performed with Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Paramore and more.)
“At the very beginning of this I was asked what drums I’d like to use. Do I want my drums flown over to London for me to use? Without hesitation, I said, ‘Taylor’s drums need to be up there and I want to play on his exact set up. I want THAT energy to be up on THAT stage. I want to sweat all over the same drums he was sweating all over every night. … don’t change a thing,’” Freese wrote via Instagram following the concert. “Even that goddamn crash cymbal WAY too high that was hard for me to hit (AND I lowered it a little! F—k, what the hell was he doing!??
).”
The Florida native shared that while he’s “usually not one of those ‘gotta represent!’ kinda guys,” he felt a type of kinship with Hawkins after growing up near one another in Orange County, California.
“Whenever we were in a group full of musicians (usually far away from home somewhere) we’d joke that we were the only 2 guys from [Orange County] in the room,” he shared. “We always had that funny little bond and he’d always remind me that he was tired of hearing about ‘that other young guy from O.C. who was already making records and touring; when he was a teenager. I’d then ask him if he wanted to trade bank accounts with me, LOL! Fuck man, the whole thing sucks. He would’ve loved that show more than anyone though. 
.”
Foo Fighters first announced that they would be “going forward” without Hawkins in an emotional December 2022 statement via Twitter, sharing that they would be a “different band” after Hawkins’ death.
“As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us,” the band penned at the time. “ “Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music.”
The group continued: “Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were–and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward.”
Sign up for Us Weekly’s free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more!
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Foo Fighters’ newest band member:
