Foo Fighters name Josh Freese as new drummer following death of Taylor Hawkins

The rock band used a livestream, which was previewing their next studio album, to announce the news to fans.

Freese has been performing with the band at tribute concerts to Hawkins as part of a career which has also seen him play drums for Sting, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer and Guns N' Roses.

The 50-year-old American, who is the son of tuba soloist Stan Freese, was unveiled after lead singer Dave Grohl and the rest of the band teased his identity as part of their Preparing Music for Concerts livestream.

Freese's next performance with the Foo Fighters will be in New Hampshire on Wednesday to launch a series of dates which continue through to the autumn.

Hawkins, 50, had been touring South America with the rest of the band when he died in a hotel room in the Colombian capital, Bogota, in March 2022.