Queen’s Roger Taylor has dedicated his OBE to the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, describing him as “sunshine in human form”.
The 72-year-old, who Hawkins counted among his top musical influences, also revealed the 50-year-old had acted as a mentor to his own son.
Taylor’s 31-year-old son Rufus is the drummer for English rock band The Darkness.
Speaking after receiving his honour from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, the Queen musician paid tribute to “one of (his) very greatest friends” and said he would “love to” dedicate the award to Hawkins.
Taylor said he is still “devastated” and trying to come to terms with the fact he will “never see him again”, after Hawkins’s death was announced on Saturday.
Speaking alongside his wife Sarina after the ceremony, Taylor said: “We’re still so upset about it and completely devastated.
“My whole family and his whole family were very close. He was, my wife called him, sunshine in human form. He was the most wonderful man and I can’t quite believe that I’m not going to see him again.
“He’s done a lot to help my son, who’s a great drummer, and he actually sort of mentored him. We’re going to miss him so much.”
Taylor, who is frequently ranked as one of the greatest drummers in rock history for his unique sound, said he had reacted to the news that he was being made an OBE with “disbelief”.
He added: “But it’s been a nice job.”
On visiting the royal residence, he joked: “It’s a nice gaff isn’t it?,” adding that it had been “lovely” to receive the honour from Charles.
Along with frontman Freddie Mercury, Taylor was one of the founding members of Queen in 1970, having turned down the chance to become a drummer for Genesis the same year.
He helped pen some of the band’s biggest hits, co-writing UK number ones Under Pressure, These Are The Days Of Our Lives and Innuendo.
