John Stamos' Relationship With Taylor Hawkins Explained
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins' death on March 25, 2022, was followed by an outpouring of tributes to the musician. He was well-liked and respected by fans, friends, and other musicians — not just for his drumming acumen but also his charismatic personality. Figures from all around the music community posted pictures and statements about their experiences with Hawkins on social media. Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne tweeted his condolences and called the Foo Fighters drummer "truly a great person and an amazing musician." Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash tweeted his sympathies, writing, "Devastated by the loss of our friend #TaylorHawkins I've no words to express all the feelings I have about his passing. But my heart goes out to his family. & his band & friends. RIP Taylor."
According to Billboard, Miley Cyrus, who replaced Foo Fighters in the headlining slot at Lollapalooza Brazil following Hawkins' death, dedicated her song "Angels Like You" to the drummer. "I would've done anything to hang out with him one more time," she told the crowd as she fought back tears.
Yet another performer who grieved the death of Hawkins was actor John Stamos, who was friends with the drummer. Here's what we know about their relationship.
John Stamos, Beach Boys drummer
John Stamos is best known as an actor, having starred in the beloved late-'80s/early-'90s sitcom "Full House." But he's also a drummer, a talent and passion he would have shared with Taylor Hawkins (via Biography). Stamos has even played drums and guitar alongside The Beach Boys on "Full House" and has done so many other times over the years — a gig he fell into by chance.
In an interview with Howard Stern (above), Stamos talks about how he's played drums since he was a child and idolized the Beach Boys growing up. "I never even dreamed of meeting the Beach Boys, let alone playing with them," Stamos said in an another interview on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." Stamos told Clarkson that he had gone to a Beach Boys show in the '80s while he was appearing on the soap opera "General Hospital." Some of his adoring fans ended up chasing him backstage, and Beach Boy's co-founder Mike Love asked who he was. When Love learned how popular Stamos seemed to be, he invited the actor on stage with the band.
Hawkins and Stamos' friendship
Following Hawkins' death, John Stamos shared the final text he received from the Foo Fighters drummer. "This was Taylor Hawkins' last text to me: 'Ya We've yet to fully have a hang -Got a put that s*** together before we die' Wise words from my friend- put that s*** together! I'm so f****** sad. Another one gone too soon," Stamos tweeted. A few days later, the actor shared a clip of Hawkins on his Instagram page. In it, Hawkins was jokingly responding to a GEICO commercial Stamos was a part of, saying that he was supposed to get the gig instead of Stamos.
"Stamos is a good buddy of mine. He's a good guy. I really like him a lot. He's a great drummer and he's just a great dude, all that stuff," Hawkins said. "But I'm a little upset with him actually, I gotta be honest with you, because I was supposed to do that Geico commercial. ... Originally that was mine but they decided to go with Stamos 'cause he's better looking. But I'm the best stick flipper around. Sorry, Stamos. ... It goes me, Tommy Lee, Stamos." Stamos captioned the clip, simply saying: "Yes, Taylor you are the best stick flipper and I miss you pal!"
Ongoing musical relationships
John Stamos, meanwhile, continues to play drums for the Beach Boys and maintains ties with fellow musicians. Speaking of the 2023 Sea.Hear.Now Festival in New Jersey, Beach Boy Mike Love told The New York Times, "There were probably about 50,000 of our closest friends there, and he [Stamos] was drumming like a champ, and everybody was at the top of their game." He continued, "John was really, has always been, an inspiration and a little bit of extra energy and absolutely a whole lot of charisma."
Drumming also doubles up as Stamos' ongoing tribute to Taylor Hawkins. This is especially true because, as Stamos told The New York Times, he caught Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters recording him as he walked off stage from a set at the aforementioned Sea.Hear.Now Festival. Stamos says that all of the Foo Fighters visited him in his trailer afterward, as did the drummers from Weezer and Greta Van Fleet.
"I couldn't believe it," Stamos said. "I'm not normally a cynic, but all of a sudden you get some respect from these younger people. It's sort of an elder statesman thing. And then you're like, 'Well, what's next? Death?'"