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Steve Martin, the founder of respected US music PR firm Nasty Little Man, opens up about the “delicate procedure” of announcing the passing of Taylor Hawkins earlier this year

Foo Fighters publicist discusses the difficulties of announcing Taylor Hawkins' death | Louder Skip to main content Louder Sound CLASSIC ROCK METAL HAMMER PROG ONE LOUDER Open menu Close menu Louder The Home Of High Voltage Rock'N'Roll Search Search Louder Subscribe (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) Music MagazinesWhy subscribe?3 issues for £3Every issue delivered direct to their doorOr grab yourself some me-time and treat yourself!From$1View Deal NEWS FEATURES REVIEWS SUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER STORE TrendingAlbums of the YearThe Best of 2022Tracks of the WeekGet Classic Rock When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Home News Classic Rock Foo Fighters' publicist discusses the challenges faced in announcing Taylor Hawkins' death By Liz Scarlett( Classic Rock ) published 16 days ago Steve Martin, the founder of respected US music PR firm Nasty Little Man, opens up about the "delicate procedure" of announcing the passing of Taylor Hawkins earlier this year (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (Image credit: Robert Knight Archive/Redferns) Steve Martin, the founder of US-based publicity company Nasty Little Man, has opened up about the experience of announcing the death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.Over the years, Martin's firm has worked with a number of legendary artists, including Paul McCartney, Metallica, Gorillaz, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, U2, Radiohead, Beastie Boys, and Nine Inch Nails, among others.Speaking to Variety about his career, Martin explains, "Unfortunately, in the last 10 years, I've had to write confirmations of an artist's passing three times". The deaths Martin is referring to are the passing of David Bowie in 2016, Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch in 2012 and Hawkins earlier this year, the drummer having been found dead in his Bogota hotel room on March 25.Sponsored LinksSponsored LinksPromoted LinksPromoted LinksOnline Shopping ToolsAmazon Left Scrambling As Prime Users Find Out About Secret DealsOnline Shopping ToolsUndoOf the difficulties surrounding the process of announcing Hawkins' passing, he continues, "With Taylor, it was more sensitive, because there were a lot of details coming out from the Colombian media.RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU..."There was a lot of second-hand talk in another magazine story, with people relaying things Taylor might have actually said but should have been left to friends talking amongst friends. Managing that, and trying to make it cause as little pain as possible, was a really delicate procedure."Martin also goes on to say how working on Hawkins' death announcement was especially difficult due to their friendship, making it much more of a personal issue."It was really rough: I’m very pragmatic about who amongst the clients becomes an actual friend, but Taylor was one," the publicist says. "If the band didn’t work for four or five weeks and we didn’t have any contact, he’d call me just to say 'What’s up?' He did that with a lot of people he considered friends, which I didn’t really learn until after he died. "He had so much energy and positivity to share. He didn’t have to do that: He played drums full-time in one of the biggest bands in the world, had all his side projects and session work, and was helping to raise three kids. He somehow found the time to brighten so many people’s days with these morning calls about a U2 B-side or something."Noting how it's vital to use an appropriate cadence when making such important announcements, Martin adds: "The first step is getting the right tone when you’re writing that statement. I don’t know how I do it, because it has always been done in a state of shock. It’s a blessing and a curse that I’ve seemed to get it right in all three of those situations." Classic Rock NewsletterSign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over. Liz ScarlettLiz works on keeping the Louder sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music. 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Foo Fighters’ publicist discusses the challenges faced in announcing Taylor Hawkins’ death