Fans of stadium rockers Foo Fighters - and music in general - are in mourning today after the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins at the age of 50.

The musician died aged just 50 overnight in a hotel in Columbia, where Foo Fighters were due to perform in the coming days.

No cause of death has been revealed.

The news has stunned fans across the globe, with tributes pouring in from the likes of Slash, Ozzy Osbourne and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello.

Countless fans have highlighted two occasions when the drummer, who hailed from California, brought his musical magic to Somerset...

A stadium band rocks a small Somerset venue

On February 24, 2017, Foo Fighters fans got some great news.

In a social media reveal, the band appeared in Somerset to announce their headline appearance at that year's Glastonbury Festival.

They announced in style, with a tongue-in-cheek video of the band meeting festival organisers Michael and Emily Eavis at Worthy Farm, in the shadow of the Pyramid Stage.

Part of the video's storyline was that the band had arrived in Pilton four months early for their headline set.

So Emily suggested they play a show in the county anyway - at a great venue she knew nearby.

That venue was the Cheese & Grain, in Frome.

And sure enough, Foo Fighters traded their usual crowds of tens of thousands in stadiums and at festivals around the world, for an 850-strong faithful at the Somerset nightspot.

It proved to be a night full of adrenaline-fuelled rock and roll, with the band playing for around two hours to those lucky enough to get in.

Taylor Hawkins and his 'partner in crime' Dave Grohl were on fine form.


Taylor Hawkins holds Glastonbury in the palm of his hand...

To June 2017, and the Foo Fighters' headline show at Worthy Farm.

They were initially set to top the bill in 2016, but frontman Dave Grohl's broken leg meant they had to postpone - replaced by Florence and The Machine.

So the following year, they were eager to let fans know what they had missed.

It was a ferocious show, cited by many as among the best Glastonbury has seen.

And part of what made it such a landmark performance came about two-thirds of the way through, when drummer Hawkins swapped roles with Grohl for a cover of Queen classic, Under Pressure.

Hawkins - a competent multi-instrumentalist himself - took lead vocals duty, while Grohl pounded the drums in his own inimitable way.

And Hawkins lead the crowd in a singalong tribute to Freddie Mercury - complete with 'waaaay-ooooh's - in what was a stand-out moment that still lingers strong in the memories of all who were there - and the millions who watched it unfold on TV.

Hawkins will be remembered around the world for his contribution to music.

But in Somerset, there are some particularly special memories.