So we know who Dave Grohl is (Nirvana drummer turned Foo Fighters front man) and we know who Billie Eilish is (21-year-old US singer/songwriter who became mega big in 2019 and who extended her fanbase through her 2023 Barbie OST track). The scene for our first video is Billie Eilish’s 2nd (of 3) mid-December 2022 concerts in Inglewood (L.A), California. The “massive LA shows” (Rock Sound TV) were billed as The Hometown Encore of Happier Than Ever, The World Tour.
The tour was in support of Eilish’s second (2001) album. The L.A. shows featured a number of celebrity music guests spread over the concerts, including Childish Gambino, Khalid, Phoebe Bridges, and, as we’ll see, Dave Grohl. Once invited on stage, Dave Grohl told how the Foo Fighters and their families watched the 2022 Grammys at his house, and everyone was genuinely touched when Billie Eilish wore a Taylor Hawkins T-shirt in honour of the recently deceased Foo Fighters drummer, who died at 50.
Before Grohl and Eilish sing the Foo Fighters classic, My Hero, Grohl suggests that they sing it for Taylor Hawkins, which adds to the “feels”, especially when Dave and Billie start singing the chorus together, then get the audience to join in. FA Garcia writes: “After Taylor’s passing, it is almost impossible not to go into tears when listening to this song. It’s unbelievable how passionate Dave is; singing in front of millions or 3 people, with an acoustic or electric; he always gives 100%”.
Jim Snyder commented on YouTube: “Since Nirvana broke in 1991 and seeing the evolution of Foo Fighters, paired with the perseverance of Dave Grohl as a legit musician, it’s SO AWESOME to see him bridge the gap with current art as he duets with Billie. What a treat. If only to be in the audience. MISS YOU TAYLOR HAWKINS!” How about we take a look at Billie Eilish’s Grammy performance; the one where she wore the Taylor Hawkins T-shirt mentioned in Grohl’s introduction.
Referring onstage (in our first video) to Billie Eilish’s performance of Happier Than Ever (with her brother Finneas O’Connell) at the 2022 Grammys, Dave Grohl said, “So from our families who aren’t here tonight, and the Hawkins family and everyone, we’d like to thank you very much”.
Two brief points about the Foo Fighters song, My Hero. Grohl has denied that it is about Kurt Cobain, saying that it is has more to do with “heroes that are ordinary”. Secondly, The Foo Fighters objected to the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, using their song at rallies. McCain responded that he had paid royalties. In belated response, The Foo Fighters performed an acoustic version of the song at the end of the 2012 Democratic National Convention (where Barack Obama secured the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination).
RIP Taylor Hawkins. If you would like to see more from Billie Eilish, you can subscribe to her YouTube channel or follow her on Facebook.