Taylor Hawkins, drummer of the American rock band Foo Fighters, has died at the age of 50, the group's members announced.
"The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. "His musical spirit and contagious laugh will stay with us forever," the band said in a statement.
"Our love goes out to his wife, children and family and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect during this unimaginably difficult time," the group's Twitter statement added.
The cause of death is still unknown.
Foo Fighters was founded in 1994 by Dave Grohl, drummer of the band Nirvana.
Texas-born Hawkins joined in 1997, having previously been the drummer for Alanis Morissette's band, touring their album The Color and The Shape, which was also released that year.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.
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