Taylor Hawkins portrayed the ideal classic rock icon, with long hair, powerful voice, powerful rhythms, and unwavering admiration for bands like Van Halen, Queen, and Led Zeppelin. When Hawkins teamed up with his partner Dave Grohl, he became an unrivalled and unsurpassed defender of hard-edged rock compared to his peers.
Hawkins produced several critically acclaimed albums and chart-topping hits during his time with the Foo Fighters. It includes There Is Nothing Left to Lose, One by One, In Your Honour, and Wasting Light, to name a few. He gained a great deal of respect and admiration from both fans and fellow musicians for his drumming prowess. This became a defining element in Foo Fighters’ success.
Aside from his work with the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins pursued other musical endeavours and explored his abilities in a number of solo endeavours. His ability as a musician and songwriter became apparent on his solo albums, such as KOTA and Red Light Fever. Through these solo endeavours, Hawkins was able to express his creativity outside of the confines of a band. He demonstrated the breadth of his skill as a solo musician.
Even though Hawkins became influenced by a wide variety of music, the first song that really stuck with him was very different. The Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie” was the first song he can remember hearing, and it made him feel uneasy. “I remember this one song as a kid and it just scared the shit out of me,” he recalled. “‘Louie Louie’ or something like that I’m not sure why, but something about their voices seemed evil to me.
Rock and roll classic “Louie Louie,” performed by The Kingsmen, is renowned for its unvarnished and exuberant rendition. However, false beliefs about the song’s alleged explicit content caused controversy. Lead vocalist Jack Ely delivered the lyrics in a raw, nearly incomprehensible manner. The FBI considered anything incomprehensible to be a serious threat at that time.
The inability to understand the lyrics did not stop them from believing that disobedient young people might be decoding some subversive message. The catchy commercial tune concealed this. This occurred as the counterculture movement gained momentum.
It’s surprising that nobody seemed to have bothered to check the song’s lyrics right away. It was first written by Richard Berry in 1957 and was based on the Latin song “El Loco Cha Cha”. But Berry needed the money for an engagement ring. So, she sold the rights to Flip Records Label for a meagre $700. Strangely, the track’s success was fueled by this drama, as it charted for an unprecedented two summers in a row.
