The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at London’s Wembley Stadium last weekend had many memorable moments. One of the most impactful was when Shane Hawkins, the 16-year-old son of the late Taylor Hawkins, took a seat behind the drum kit and played “My Hero” with the Foo Fighters.
The emotion of the moment wasn’t lost on Wolfgang Van Halen, who also performed at the tribute show. Wolfgang shared via Twitter, “What an amazing young man Shane Hawkins is.” He then added, “We unfortunately have too much in common,” alluding to the death of his own rock star father, Eddie Van Halen, who died in October 2020 at age 65 following a long bout with cancer.
He concluded, “I wish I had his strength. Watching him obliterate ‘My Hero’ just like his father at Wembley Stadium is something I will never forget. Kid’s got a bright future. I’m proud of you, Shane.” The kind words were accompanied by a brief clip of Shane hugging Wolfgang.
What an amazing young man Shane Hawkins is. We unfortunately have too much in common. I wish I had his strength. Watching him obliterate My Hero just like his father at Wembley Stadium is something I will never forget. Kid’s got a bright future. I’m proud of you, Shane. pic.twitter.com/ys5dG0iExP
— Wolfgang Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) September 7, 2022
The full performance of “My Hero” was created into its own video on YouTube. As of publishing, it has already amassed just under six million views since being publishes on September 4.