Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for rock band, the Foo Fighters, has died at the age of 50.
The band is currently on tour in South America.
The group made a statement on its Twitter account saying: ‘His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live with us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children, and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.’
Taylor joined the Foo Fighters in 1997.
The band was formed in 1994 by Dave Grohl, who had been the drummer for Nirvana, one of the most influential and popular grunge acts of the early 1990s.
Hawkins had previously been a touring drummer for singer Alanis Morissette.
Tributes poured in from the music world with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Ozzy Osbourne, Miley Cyrus, and Billy Idol, amongst others expressing their shock and condolences for his untimely passing.