A statement released by the band called for the public to offer Hawkins' family their privacy during "this unimaginably difficult time."
"His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever," reads the announcement. "Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family."
Hawkins was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1972 before he moved to Southern California as a child. He began playing drums early on with several bands as a teenager. He became the drummer for singer Sass Jordan and then made his mark in the music scene as the drummer for singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette in 1995. After two years with the 'You Oughta Know' singer, he joined Foo Fighters in 1997.
Foo Fighters was founded by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl in the aftermath of Kurt Cobain's death, which effectively dissolved the band. He formed Foo Fighters in 1994, with Hawkins joining three years later.
In an interview from last year, Grohl recalls first meeting Hawkins, saying, "I was like, 'Wow, you're either my twin or my spirit animal, or my best friend!' In the first 10 seconds of meeting him. And, of course, I'd seen him play the drums and I thought he was an amazing drummer."
Hawkins and Grohl played with some of the biggest names in rock music, including Queen, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones.
“Not only do you get to just, like, pinch yourself, 'Wow, I'm in the room with this person', but you also get to kind of try and soak up a little bit of what they do musically, y'know? It's neat. It really is amazing, and you really get to be in the presence of greatness when you're with people like that,” said Hawkins of his music idols.
Sentiments on social media have already come pouring in, including Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello.
Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine pointed out Hawkin's drum skills, compared to his bandmate Dave Grohl who is one of the most influential drummers in rock history, "Taylor Hawkins might’ve been the only drummer alive who could support Dave Grohl and not make you wish Grohl was sitting behind the kit," he tweeted.
Hawkins stepped up to the plate as Foo Fighters drummer, as a fan of Queen and Rush his skills involved hard-hitting, well timed beats.
On Friday, the band was scheduled to play at the Festival Estéreo Picnic in Bogotá, Colombia. Their following show was scheduled for Lollapalooza Brazil on Sunday.