The Foo Fighters were scheduled to headline two music festivals this weekend — Beale Street in Memphis Friday (April 29) and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Sunday (May 1) — but canceled all remaining tour dates when their drummer Taylor Hawkins unexpectedly passed away in March.
Sammy Hagar & The Circle took the Foos' place at Beale Street, and paid tribute to Hawkins with a cover of "My Hero."
"When we were asked by the promoter to fill in for the Foo Fighters at the Beale Street Music Festival, my first reaction was 'No f**king way!'" Hagar confessed on Instagram. "We discussed it as a band, & we came up with 'Why not! Let's just go play music and you're at a big a** Circle party for those people, just do what we do!' Then with Dave Grohl's blessings we decided to do a broken down version of one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. It felt appropriate. No rehearsal, After all this is rock 'n' roll and thats what it's all about."
Watch the cover above.
Hagar is just one of many acts filling in for the Foos on festival lineups. Red Hot Chili Peppers took their place at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, and drummer Chad Smith revealed Hawkins' bandmates and family were in attendance. Nine Inch Nails will replace the Foos at Boston Calling and Welcome to Rockville, and Arcade Fire will play Osheaga Festival in their place.
Just months before Hawkins' death, he and Grohl visited Hagar's Rock & Roll Road Trip television show to chat about a lot of things, including their favorite drummers. Watch that interview here.