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Josh Freese has revealed that he has been asked to leave the Foo Fighters, two years after he was recruited to replace drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Hawkins died in 2022 at the age of 50.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Freese wrote: “The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer.’ No reason was given.
“Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band.
“In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry – just a bit shocked and disappointed. But as most of you know I’ve always worked freelanced and bounced between bands so, I’m fine. Stay tuned for my ‘Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters’ list.”
The Independent has approached the Foo Fighters for comment.
Freese is an American session drummer. He is the son of tuba soloist Stan Freese and the older brother of musician Jason Freese.
The 52-year-old has previously played drums for the Vandals, Devo, Guns N’ Roses, Sting, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer and Sublime with Rome, among others.
Freese joined Foo Fighters after the recording of their most recent album, 2023’s But Here We Are, so never played on their studio records.
That was the band’s first album since Hawkins’ death.
Hawkins was declared dead at a hotel in Colombia after paramedics battled to revive him. Before his death, he had been suffering from “chest pain.”
The band described But Here We Are as “a brutally honest and emotionally raw response” to the loss they had experienced in the preceding year.
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Last year, the band’s frontman Dave Grohl — who also lost his mother in the summer of 2022 — became embroiled in scandal after revealing that he had fathered a child “outside of his marriage.”
In a post on Instagram he admitted to having a child with a woman other than his wife Jordyn Blum, writing: “I’ve recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside of my marriage.”
“I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her,” he continued. “I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness. We’re grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together.”
Grohl didn’t disclose any further details about the new baby or the mother of the child.
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