Foo Fighters cancel tour after ‘staggering loss’ of Taylor Hawkins, were set to play 9 Canadian shows

The Foo Fighters have cancelled all upcoming tour dates following the “staggering loss” of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins,” the band said in a statement Tuesday. “We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned.

“Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together,” the group said.

The rock band was on the South American leg of their tour when Hawkins, 50, was found dead in a hotel room in Bogota, Colombia.

“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever,” the band said on social media. “Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”

The band was set to headline the first day of Montreal’s famed Osheaga Festival on July 29. Dave Grohl and company were also set to play shows in Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria and Vancouver.

The circumstances of Hawkins’ death remain largely unclear. The cause of death was not disclosed in a preliminary “forensic medical study” released Saturday by Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, which said a urine toxicology test found 10 substances, including THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids.

–with a file from the Associated Press