Queen band legend Roger Taylor has revealed why Dave Grohl didn’t recruit his drummer son Rufus Taylor for the Foo Fighters.
Grohl had to search for a replacement drummer for his band after tragedy struck in 2022 when longtime percussionist Taylor Hawkins died at the age of 50.
Many suggested that Taylor’s godson Rufus, who plays in The Darkness, would have been a perfect fit, but Grohl chose Josh Freese instead.
Now Roger has revealed that he believes Rufus didn’t get the job because Grohl didn’t want to take him out of The Darkness.
roger told Wire newspaper, “We all (thought Rufus would get the Foo Fighters job). He would have been a great replacement but I don’t think Dave wanted to break The Darkness.”
Josh Freese, who had previously played with Nine Inch Nails, was drafted into Dave Grohl’s band following the death of Taylor Hawkins, but he was dismissed from the group the previous summer and replaced by Nine star Ilan Rubin.
NIN front man Trent Reznor moved to bring Freeze back into his band and recently explained that he decided to call on the percussionist because it “makes perfect sense.”
The musician told Consequence.net: “As soon as I heard the news (of Josh’s departure from Foo Fighters), I thought I could call Josh and he could run the show tonight, because there’s no doubt about his ability.”
He continued, “And that was essentially the brief. He was available and willing, and it made sense on a lot of levels.”
“To be totally honest, we’re adults and we’re professionals, but we’re also people with emotional feelings and a warm sense of intent and purpose,” Reznor said.
He added, “I thought it would be better to play the last wave of the tour with someone who wants to be there, and that’s what happened.”
It’s also worth mentioning that Freeze previously revealed that he was “shocked and disappointed” when he was told that his tour with Fooz was ending earlier this year.
He wrote on Instagram, “Foo Fighters called me Monday night and told me they had decided to ‘go in a different direction with their drummer’. No reason given. Regardless, I’ve enjoyed the last two years with them on and off stage and I support whatever they feel is best for the band…”
“In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I have never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry – I am surprised and disappointed. But as most of you know I’ve always done freelance work and shuttled between bands, so I’m fine,” Josh Freese explained at the time of being let go.
