“I just can’t wake up”: Why did Prince Harry Slap Foo Fighters’ Drummer Taylor Hawkins?
Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for the Foo Fighters, passed away in March 2022 as a result of a sudden cardiac arrest, leaving his bandmates and thousands of fans in the deepest grief.
However, Hawkins had a life filled with encounters that one can never forget, people he managed to touch, and experiences that could last a lifetime before he passed away. One such encounter was with Prince Harry, which even though happened years ago, is somehow always brought up.
Taylor Hawkins said Prince Harry slapped him without warning
It’s impossible to forget the hilarious incident that drummer Taylor Hawkins and guitarist Dave Grohl shared with reporter Allison Langdon on 60 Minutes back in 2021. They also made an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, where Grohl revealed that Prince Harry decided to drop by their hotel suite to see how he was doing after breaking his leg while performing on stage while the Foo Fighters were wrapping up a tour of Europe.
Grohl added, “He brought me this thing to hold my iPad so I could just watch movies and s—. It was great. He was cool. He smacked Taylor in the face one time.” Hawkins at the time said during the interview that it pissed him off but went ahead to explain what exactly happened, adding that the band had flown into England for a gig and had gotten very little sleep beforehand.
Hawkins continued, “He walked in and goes, ‘How are you doing?’ I said, ‘I can’t wake up. I’m so tired.’ He just goes bam and I went, ‘You m——–.’ He was like, ‘Are you awake now?’” Hawkins, however, found the entire scenario to be funny as he said, “I mean, I got slapped in the face by the prince. That’s OK, really, when you think about it.”
Critics do not deem Prince Harry slapping Taylor Hawkins amusing
Because of Prince Harry and Prince William’s hot tempers, the story of Prince Harry slapping the now-deceased drummer Taylor Hawkins does not sit well with critics even today, even though the incident occurred in 2015. The two of them have a complicated relationship, in part because of this hot temper.
After the incident came to light, inquiries were made into whether the Duke of Sussex’s anger had overcome him and why he believed it was appropriate to act that way. This was specifically because Prince Harry still belonged to the royal family at the time. He remained one of the senior royals and a symbol of the crown and fans were extremely upset by Prince Harry’s actions. When the tale was retold after a little over a year since Hawkins’ passing, complete with heartfelt tributes to the drummer, it was evident that the disapproval of the prince had not subsided.
A user stated online,
“It was an assault. Watch him describe it on Howard Stern – it was a proper whack. In front of everyone, in front of his work colleagues, and Taylor was too stunned to retaliate and he wouldn’t have been allowed because 1. he’s a PRINCE & 2. all the bodyguards would have prevented it. What a horrible, entitled brat. Those bodyguards must have witnessed so much.”
Another user took to their social media to share,
“If I remember correctly, Taylor’s reaction was surprised and then he brushed it off as sort of a joke and was on friendly terms with him after, so Taylor clearly took it like a champ.”
Josh Freese joins the Foo Fighters, replacing late-drummer Taylor Hawkins
Foo Fighters have now revealed Josh Freese as their new drummer for an upcoming tour with Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, and Rami Jaffee after the passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022.
It is unknown, though, whether Freese will remain with the group permanently or will only fill in while the tour is underway. On March 25, 2022, Hawkins unexpectedly passed away at the age of 50 while on tour in Colombia. At the Four Seasons Casa Medina in Bogota, he was discovered dead in a hotel room.
Welcome to the Foo Fam @joshfreese.
Photo by Scarlet Page pic.twitter.com/O6pg4dP1n2
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) May 25, 2023
At the time, the band released a statement in which they expressed their intention to change as a result of the death of their beloved friend and band member. According to the statement, they wouldn’t have been able to develop into the band they are today without Hawkins, and they are aware that without him, they would no longer be in the same group. The official statement acknowledged the fans, stating that they also knew how much they meant to Hawkins as well as how much he meant to them. It also stated that when they saw the fans again, he would be there in spirit every night.
Source: Triple M
