Recently Deceased Canadian Singer Gave Late Foo Fighters Drummer His Big Break

The music world is mourning the loss of Canadian singer Sass Jordan, who died of undisclosed causes on Oct. 2 at the age of 65.

The British-born Jordan was an award-winning performer in her own right who was named the Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year at the Juno Awards, the Canadian version of the Grammys. She was also nominated for Best Female Vocalist at the Junos in 1990, 1993 and 1995 and was named Top Female Rock Artist of the Year in 1992 by Billboard magazine.

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Later, from 2003 through 2008, she served as a judge on the television singing competition Canadian Idol, but long before that, she helped an aspiring musician to his first step toward rock stardom.

Taylor Hawkins rose to international stardom as a member of the Foo Fighters, but it was Jordan who gave him his first big break, when she hired him to be the drummer in her touring band in 1994 when he was just 22.

More than a decade later, on July 9, 2015, the Foo Fighters welcomed Jordan onstage to give thanks to the singer for launching Hawkins’ career during a gig at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto.

In video posted on YouTube, Hawkins recounts the story about how he landed the gig in Jordan’s band.

“ Back in 1994, I was working at this music store, and I met this guy, and he said, ‘Hey, you know, you’re working at a music store. Is that what you wanna do with your life?’ And I said, ‘No, I wanna be in a big, rad rock band.’ So he said, ‘Well, I know this cool, cool chick, and she is going on tour. She’s going to Europe to open up for Aerosmith, and she’s Canadian.’ She said, ‘My name is is Sass Jordan.’ … Does anybody know who that is here? I think you do. OK, well, this woman took some dipshit like me, 22-year-old who didn’t know shit, a greenhorn, on the road, taught me how to be in a rock and roll band, gave me my first rock and roll check. Not chick, check. And tonight I get to play with her again. I haven’t played with her in a long time. Can you guys say hello to Sass Jordan?”

After Hawkins’ introduction, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who was suffering from a broken leg at the time, took over.  ”Let me tell you, all roads lead to the Foo Fighters. So if it weren’t for Sass Jordan, Taylor Hawkins wouldn’t be in the Foo Fighters right now!”

Following the enthusiastic introduction, Jordan joined the Foos for a rollicking version of the Faces’ classic “Stay With Me.”

Before joining the Foo Fighters, Hawkins also toured with Alanis Morissette from 1995 through 1997.

Sadly, Hawkins run with the Foo Fighters was cut short when he died on March 25, 2022, at the age of 50 while he was on tour with the band in Bogota, Columbia. Although his official cause of death has yet to be made public, Hawkins had 10 different drugs in his system at the time of his death, according to a preliminary urine toxicology test and also had an enlarged heart, which likely contributed to his death.