Dave Grohl

Multi-instrumentalist Dave Grohl has carved his name in rock history—twice. Born in Ohio in 1969, the self-taught drummer and guitarist played in several bands in his teen years. After touring with Washington, D.C. punk outfit Scream, he moved to Seattle, becoming Nirvana’s drummer in time for their 1991 grunge blockbuster, Nevermind, where his thundering, effusive drums helped transform an underground punk band into chart-topping rock superstars. In the wake of Kurt Cobain’s 1994 death, Grohl dusted off some old songs, picked up a guitar, and let loose a wave of melodic rock as the Foo Fighters, which would become one of the most dominant rock bands of the '90s and beyond. Between touring and recording the Foos’ arena-ready songs, Grohl further padded his resume by lending his punk-fueled beats to the Queens of the Stone Age and, in 2007, launching the supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme. Cementing his status as rock’s affable ambassador, he also wrote a book and directed two music-themed documentaries—2013’s Sound City and 2018’s Play—and produced the 2014 HBO music docuseries, Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways. Following the sudden death of longtime Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022, Grohl corralled an all-star cast of friends—including Paul McCartney and Miley Cyrus—for a series of tribute concerts that reaffirmed his role as rock's great unifier.