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Grammys 2022 launched its annual In Memoriam segment by paying tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away at 50 just last Friday.
“This was the moment in the show when I was supposed to be introducing the Foo Fighters,” host Trevor Noah announced before launching an extended intro tribute to the beloved rock musician. “We would have been celebrating with them as they won three Grammy awards earlier today. But they, of course, are not here due to the passing of their legendary drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Our thoughts go out to Taylor’s family, his friends, his Foo Fighter family and all his fans.”
Upon the announcement of Hawkins’ death, his bandmates revealed they’d be canceling their Grammys performance as well as the rest of their tour to “heal.”
“We want to figure out what is the right thing to do that is respectful to everyone involved,” Jack Sussman, executive vice president of specials, music, and live events at CBS, told Variety at the time.
The awards show vowed to “honor his memory in some way” — and they delivered with the moving video montage of his career.
The Grammys also paid major tribute to the late and legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, who one of the most important people in the history of musical theater.
Multiple award winners Leslie Odom Jr. of “Hamilton,” Cynthia Erivo of “The Color Purple,” and Ben Platt of “Dear Evan Hansen” joined forces with Rachel Zegler of “West Side Story” to honor the deceased music industry pros by performing Sondheim’s “Not a Day Goes By,” “Send in the Clowns” and “Somewhere.”
As the four musical artists took the stage to sing the iconic ballads, a slideshow of those lost in the industry played on the stage’s large screens.
Rapper DMX got a special rise out of the Grammys crowd, who broke out in a chorus of applause and cheers when his face and name appeared on the big screen.
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A list of Grammys 2022 In Memoriam honorees:
Taylor Hawkins, Marilyn Bergman (songwriter), Virgil Abloh (hip-hop fashion designer), Gary Brooker (Procol Harum singer), Walter Yetnikoff (music industry executive), Sarah Dash (Labelle, X-Pensive Winos), Ken Kragen (Artist Manager), Dottie Dodgion (jazz drummer), Paddy Maloney (The Chieftains) Jim Steinman (singer-producer), Biz Markie (raper, DJ, producer), Marilia Dias Mendonca (Brazilian singer-songwriter), Clarence “Mac” Macdonald (pianist-composer), Rusty Young (Poco), Connie Bradley (country industry executive), Stonewall Jackson (country singer), Roger Hawkin (Muscle Shoals drummer), Betty Davis (funk singer-songwriter), George Wein (Newport Jazz, Newport Folk, New Orleans Jazzfest), Johnny Ventura (salsa and merengue singer-bandleader), Lisa Roy (Audio Production Executive), Charlie Watts (Drummer, The Rolling Stones), Wanda Young (The Marvelettes), Meat Loaf (rock singer), Al Schlesinger (music attorney, Recording Academy president), Lee “Scratch” Perry (Jamaican producer-singer), Don Everly (The Everly Brothers), Robbie Shakespeare (Reggae bass guitarist0roducer), Michael Lang (Woodstock co-creator), Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes), Ralph Emery (Country DJ/TV personality), Young Dolph (rapper), Nanci Griffith (singer-songwriter), Jesse D (Force MDS), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees), Gregory “Shock G” Jacobs (rapper), Vicente Fernandez (Mexican ranchera singer), Jeremy Lubbock (arranger/composer/producer), Tom Parker (The Wanted), Dusty Hill (ZZ Top), Ethel Gabriel (music executive), Lloyd Price (R&B singer-songwriter), Al Schmitt (engineer-roducer) Ron Tutt (drummer) and Joe Simon (Soul/R&B singer).
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