Sammy Hagar and the Circle Strip Back ‘My Hero’ for Powerful Tribute to Taylor Hawkins

Sammy Hagar and the Circle paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins with a cover of the Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” during a set at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis last Friday, April 29.

Hagar and his band were tapped to headline the festival after the Foo Fighters called off all their 2022 live dates following Hawkins’ sudden death. In a note accompanying the clip, Hagar admitted his first reaction to being offered the gig was, “No fucking way!” But after some discussion, the group decided to accept, and then reached out to Dave Grohl to get his blessing “to do a broken down version of one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands.”

Although Hagar and the Circle’s take on “My Hero” is seriously stripped back, the group sacrificed none of the song’s potency, with the crowd bellowing along on the hook. “It felt appropriate,” Hagar added of the cover. “No rehearsal. After all, this is rock & roll and that’s what it’s all about.”

Hawkins died suddenly in Bogotá, Colombia, at the age of 50 on March 25. An exact cause of death still hasn’t been determined, but the Attorney General of Colombia said at least 10 substances were found in Hawkins, including antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids.