Taylor Hawkins Had Heartwarming Encounter With Young Drummer Just Days Before Death

Before his tragic death on Friday, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins had a magical interaction with a young fan in Paraguay. On Tuesday, 9-year-old Emma Sofia set up her drums outside of the band’s hotel in the country and started to play. Fans cheered, and she likely felt fantastic enough, but that was soon elevated when Hawkins himself showed up.

According to CNN, Sofia has been drumming for about two years and was inspired by her Foo Fighters-loving uncle, who is also a drummer. The young drummer and her parents had tickets to see the group play the Asuncionico Festival in Paraguay, though the show was canceled last minute due to severe weather. When the show fell through, the family decided to go for it and headed for the hotel.

According to CNN, she set up and played her drums for around 30 minutes, with father Julio Peralta explaining where her love of the band came from and cheering her on along with the crowd. Then Hawkins showed up after hearing the commotion, walking down to check out the drumming and say hello to fans while apologizing for the cancellation.

“She said that day was about to be the worst day of her life and suddenly turned into the best day of her life,” her father told CNN. After Hawkins arrived, the crowd lifted up the young girl and handed over the barrier to meet Hawkins in person.

The drummer posed for some photos and shared a few moments with the young fan before heading back up. The magical moment was sure to live on as something special for Sofia, but it has been changed into something more due to Hawkins passing on Friday.

According to the latest reports, a suspected drug overdose is the unofficial cause of death according to authorities in Colombia. Investigations are still underway, so what led to the drummer’s passing is explicitly unknown. Sofia and her family paid tribute to the late drummer in a post on Instagram.

“We will remember him for his charisma and the beautiful gesture he had with Emma. Taylor gave us something to believe in. He was, is and always will be an inspiration,” the caption reads. Hawkins was 50 years old.