Late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins appears posthumously on the new album from blues-rock veteran Edgar Winter, Brother Johnny, which arrived Friday via Quarto Valley Records. The LP sees Winter collaborating with likes of Ringo Starr, Billy Gibbons, and Michael McDonald to play songs by his late brother Johnny, who died in 2014 at the age of 70. Hawkins handles lead vocals on a cover of ‘Guess I’ll Go Away’. Listen to it below.
Edgar Winter wrote about working with Hawkins in a note on his website:
I had only just met Taylor, and barely got to know him, but I was so impressed by his sincerity, positive energy, and pure enthusiasm. He had a unique spontaneous style different from anyone I’ve ever worked with before. I can be very opinionated — but as soon as heard what he was doing, I knew it was best to step back, stay out of the way, and let him do his thing. That session was an experience I will never forget.
When I tried to open a business discussion, he simply would not hear of it. He said — I don’t want ANYTHING for doing this, I just want’a get out there and Rock. And Rock HE DID! I don’t know if it was out of respect for Johnny, a desire to help me in what I was doing, compassion for the nature of the project, or his friendship with Ross. Most probably all these things — but whatever it was, he gave it His ALL!
I listened to it last night, and couldn’t help but cry. It’s a song about the lure of sex, the danger of drugs, and the Love of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Johnny wrote it around the time of his first rehab, and it expresses feelings almost everyone I know has been through in one way or another. I would guess (like most all musicians) Taylor couldn’t help but identify with it. All I know is he put his whole heart and soul into it, and I am so sad that I never found a way to thank him properly as he so deeply and profoundly deserved.
Taylor Hawkins died suddenly last month in Bogota, Colombia at the age of 50. The cover of ‘Guess I’ll Go Away’ marks his first posthumous release.
