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Dave Grohl: Nirvana, Foo Fighters and beyond...
12 September 2024, 07:00 | Updated: 12 September 2024, 12:41
The Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer has had a long and varied career, but how much do you know about him?
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Dave Grohl is best known as the frontman of Foo Fighters and the former Nirvana drummer but what else do you know about his life and career?
Get closer to the grunge icon below...
How old is Dave Grohl?
Dave Grohl was born on 14th January 1969, making him 55 at the time of this article last being published.
What star sign is Dave Grohl?
Dave Grohl's 14th January birthday makes him a Capricorn.
What is Dave Grohl's full name?
Dave's full name is David Eric Grohl. Grohl once told Radio X that his mother always referred to him as David and he also revealed why he considered it his pre-Nirvana name.
"This is the thing," exclaimed the rocker. "That's how I could tell people that have known me before Nirvana."Because on the record Nevermind I think I'm credited as Dave Grohl, so after that everyone just called me [that].
"But my entire life everyone had called me David, then I became a Dave..."
Who are Dave Grohl's parents?
Dave Grohl was born to newsletter writer James Harper Grohl and a teacher mother Virginia Jean Hanlon. His parents divorced when he was seven and he was raised by his mum from then on. Grohl's beloved mother sadly died in 2022 the same year Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away.
Opening up about her passing on an episode of the Song Exploder podcast he described her as the "most important person in (his) life."
"I was with her for all of the time leading up to her passing," Grohl recalled to host Hrishikesh Hirway. “Everyday during that period, I would write something on the guitar, because I felt that if I didn’t have that release, I would explode. I would spend the day at the hospital and then try to translate it musically — with no clear intention of what I was trying to achieve. I was finding these chords and progressions that mirrored the way that I felt.
"Discussing The Teacher track in particular, which was written about Virginia and featured on the band's But Here We Are album, he explained: "She was the most important person in my entire life. So I thought this had to be the most important music I ever made."
Does Dave Grohl have any siblings?
Dave Grohl has one older sister, Lisa. He credits her with exposing him to a wide range of music including metal bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
What bands has Dave Grohl been in?
- Dain Bramage (1985 - 1987)
- Scream (1986 -1990)
- Nirvana (1990 -1994)
- Foo Fighters (1994 - present)
What side projects & supergroups has Dave Grohl been in?
- Backbeat Band (1993- 94)
- Them Crooked Vultures (Formed in 2005, on hiatus since 2022)
- Sound City Players (2012-2013)
- Probot (side project and album of the same name released in 2004)
Which Nirvana albums did Dave Grohl play on?
Since being recruited to join Nirvana in 1990, Grohl doesn't appear on the band's debut album Bleach, which was released in 1989. However he does appear on the records thereafter:
- Nevermind (1991)
- In Utero (1993)
Grohl also appears on the band's legendary live album MTV Unplugged in New York, which was released after Kurt Cobain's death.
How many albums has Dave Grohl released with Foo Fighters?
Since forming Foo Fighters in 1994, Grohl has appeared in all 11 of their studio albums. See them below:
- Foo Fighters (1995)
- The Colour and the Shape (1997)
- There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999)
- One by One (2002)
- In Your Honor (2005)
- Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)
- Wasting Light (2011)
- Sonic Highways (2014)
- Concrete and Gold (2017)
- Medicine at Midnight (2021)
- But Here We Are (2023)
How did Dave Grohl ask Taylor Hawkins to be part of Foo Fighters?
Taylor Hawkins heard the news on the radio that Foo Fighters were looking for a drummer just ahead of the release of the The Colour And The Shape in 1997. Hr called the Nirvana legend to announce, “I hear you’re looking for a drummer”.
To his surprise, Grohl’s response was: “Yes, do you know any?”
The Learn To Fly rocker later explained to Radio X: Taylor was playing with Alanis Morissette, who was selling out stadiums all over the world. I imagined that for him to play drums in the Foo Fighters would be considered a demotion.
“They’re playing stadiums all over the world, why the f**k would he wanna join our band - that was playing the Astoria on a Tuesday night?
“THAT’S why I asked… far be it for me that I would POACH someone else’s drummer.”
How Taylor Hawkins got the call to join Foo Fighters
Why did Nirvana break up?
Nirvana did not break up. They disbanded after the tragic death of their frontman Kurt Cobain from suicide in April 1994.
Who else has Dave Grohl toured with, performed with or recorded for?
Dave Grohl has worked with a plethora of artists over the years, whether contributing to their albums, performing with them on stage or joining them on tour. The extensive but not exhaustive list includes but does:
- Queens of the Stone Age
- Tenacious D
- Buzz Osbourne
- Cage The Elephant
- Mike Watt's Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
- Killing Joke
- Tony Iommi
- Cat Power
- Nine Inch Nails
- Garbage
- Julliet and the Licks
- Pete Yorn
- Paul McCartney
- David Bowie
- Norah Jones
Why does Dave Grohl always chew gum?
Speaking to Rolling Stone's Austin Scaggs in June 2003, Grohl revealed: "It’s just to keep my throat and mouth lubricated — so when I scream balls, I don’t choke and vomit."
Dave went on: "The best time for the gum is just before getting onstage. Onstage I need a minty-fresh microphone. There’s no gum that keeps its flavour for more than twenty minutes. I need flavour."
And as for the Learn To Fly rocker's poison? "I like me some Dentyne Ice. I just know the colors: black, blue or green."
READ MORE:
- Is Foo Fighters' The Pretender a secret protest song?
- When and where was Foo Fighters' first ever UK gig?
Who is Dave Grohl's wife?
Dave Grohl has been married to Jordyn Blum (48) since 2003. He was previously married to Jennifer Youngblood from 1994 - 1997.
How many children does Dave Grohl have?
Dave Grohl has four children. Three daughters with his wife Jordyn Blum; Violet (born 2006), Harper (born 2009) and Ophelia (born 2014) and one daughter which he has this week confirmed was born "outside of (his) marriage."
Taking to his personal Instagram on Tuesday (10th September), the Everlong singer shared a statement, which read: "I've recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside of my marriage. I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her.
"I love my wife and my children and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness."
The statement ended: "We're grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together."
Grohl's two eldest daughters Violet and Harper have performed with their father onstage with Foo Fighters, with Violet appearing on the band's last album, But Here We Are and joining him on selected dates of their corresponding world tour.
Did dave Grohl write his own book?
Yes. Grohl wrote and released his own memoir, The Storyteller, back in 2021 and it became a New York Times Bestseller.
Borne from short stories he began penning to busy himself writing and posting on social media during the pandemic, the book was written by the Foos frontman himself and comprises of various stories, highlights and meetings throughout his career.
While Grohl has never been backwards about coming forwards, the former Nirvana drama did reveal there were a few "moments" deemed too offensive for the book.
Asked if there were any stories that his publishers said he couldn't put in the book, he told The Chris Moyles Show: "Well, there were a couple little moments in stories, where someone would say 'That might be considered offensive'.
"And [I said]: 'To who, what, where, why? Of course. That's why I'm writing it. That's why I want it. This is the story. It must be!' And a few of those were removed..."
What is Dave Grohl's net worth?
According to celebritynetworth.com, Grohl's net worth is approximately $330 million (approx $252 million).
Dave Grohl remembers Nirvana's Nevermind, 30 years on
READ MORE:
- What does Dave Grohl whisper in Everlong by Foo Fighters?
- Irish man who met Dave Grohl when hitchhiking as a teen realises impact on Foo Fighters' formation
