Dave Grohl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Grohl
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Grohl in 2019
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David Eric Grohl
January 14, 1969 Warren, Ohio, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Jennifer Leigh Youngblood
(m. 1994; div. 1997)Jordyn Blum
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 4, including Violet Grohl |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, and guitarist for the rock band Foo Fighters. Before that, he was the drummer for the famous grunge band Nirvana from 1990 to 1994.
Grohl started playing music at a young age. He joined the punk rock band Scream when he was 17. After Scream broke up, he became Nirvana's drummer. He played on their hugely successful album Nevermind (1991).
After Nirvana, Grohl started Foo Fighters in 1995. They have released many studio albums and become one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Grohl is also part of other music projects, like the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. He has also directed music videos and documentaries.
Rolling Stone magazine named Grohl one of the best drummers ever. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. First with Nirvana in 2014, and then with Foo Fighters in 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
David Eric Grohl was born in Warren, Ohio, on January 14, 1969. His family moved to Springfield, Virginia, when he was a child. His parents separated when he was seven, and his mother raised him.
When he was 12, Grohl started learning guitar. He preferred to teach himself rather than take lessons. He soon began playing in bands with his friends. He enjoyed faster, louder music.
At 13, Grohl discovered punk rock through his cousin. He went to his first punk concert in 1982. This experience made him love punk music. He later played punk songs over his school's intercom system.
Grohl played in several local bands during high school. He taught himself to play drums during this time. He never took formal drumming lessons. He learned by listening to bands like Rush and other punk groups. Neil Peart from Rush and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin were big influences on him.
Career
Scream (1986–1990)
At age 17, Grohl joined the punk rock band Scream. He lied about his age to get the job. He dropped out of high school to tour with the band. He said he was "extremely anxious to see the world."
Grohl toured a lot with Scream for four years. They recorded a live album and two studio albums. In 1990, Scream broke up suddenly during a tour.
Nirvana (1990–1994)
While in Scream, Grohl became friends with the band the Melvins. The Melvins' guitarist, Buzz Osborne, knew Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic from Nirvana. When Scream broke up, Osborne told Grohl that Nirvana needed a drummer.
Grohl went to Seattle to audition for Nirvana. He quickly joined the band. Novoselic later said, "We knew in two minutes that he was the right drummer."
Nirvana had already recorded some songs for their next album. They signed with DGC Records. In 1991, they recorded Nevermind in Los Angeles. This album became a huge worldwide success.
Grohl also started recording his own songs during this time. He released them on a cassette called Pocketwatch in 1992. He used the name "Late!" for this project.
Grohl started writing more songs for Nirvana. One song, "Marigold," was released as a B-side. Kurt Cobain was happy that Grohl and Novoselic were contributing more to the band's music.
Before their 1994 European tour, Nirvana recorded some new songs. Grohl and Novoselic worked on their own songs, including future Foo Fighters songs like "Exhausted" and "Big Me". This was Nirvana's last time recording in a studio. Kurt Cobain passed away on April 8, 1994.
On April 10, 2014, Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nirvana.
Foo Fighters (1994–present)
Starting the Band
After Nirvana, Grohl recorded 15 songs by himself in a studio. He played all the instruments. He didn't want it to be a solo career. So, he found other musicians to form a band.
He recruited Pat Smear, who had played guitar with Nirvana on tour. He also brought in William Goldsmith (drums) and Nate Mendel (bass) from the band Sunny Day Real Estate. They decided not to ask Krist Novoselic to join. Grohl felt it would put too much pressure on him.
Instead of re-recording the album, Grohl's demo was released in July 1995. It was called Foo Fighters.
Growing Success
After touring for over a year, Grohl started working on the band's second album. During the recording, there were some disagreements. Grohl ended up re-recording most of the drums himself. William Goldsmith then left the band.
Taylor Hawkins joined as the new drummer. The second Foo Fighters album, The Colour and the Shape, came out in May 1997. It became very popular and had hit songs like "Everlong" and "My Hero".
Pat Smear left the band later that year. He was replaced by Grohl's old Scream bandmate, Franz Stahl. Chris Shiflett later joined the band as a guitarist.
New Albums and Tours
Grohl's life became full of touring with Foo Fighters. He turned his basement into a recording studio. The 1999 album There Is Nothing Left to Lose was recorded there.
In 2000, the band worked with Queen guitarist Brian May. Grohl and Taylor Hawkins later inducted Queen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They even performed with Queen.
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In 2002, Grohl played drums for Queens of the Stone Age on their album Songs for the Deaf. He also toured with them. After this, he went back to Foo Fighters to re-record their fourth album, One by One.
Grohl made history in 2002. He replaced himself at the top of the Billboard modern rock chart. A Nirvana song was replaced by a Foo Fighters song. Then, a Queens of the Stone Age song took the top spot. This meant Grohl was number one with three different bands in a short time!
Foo Fighters released their fifth album, In Your Honor, in 2005. It had two discs: one rock and one acoustic. It featured collaborations with famous musicians like John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin.
Their sixth album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, came out in 2007. It included the hit single "The Pretender". In 2009, Foo Fighters released a Greatest Hits album. Grohl felt it was too early for a greatest hits collection.
The band's seventh album, Wasting Light, was released in 2011. It was their first album to reach number one in the United States. In 2014, they released Sonic Highways. Each song on this album was inspired by a different U.S. city's music history.
Recent Years
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In 2015, Grohl broke his leg during a show in Sweden. He finished the concert with a cast. To keep touring, he designed a special "elevated throne" to perform from. He even lent this throne to other musicians who broke their legs, like Axl Rose.
In 2017, Foo Fighters released Concrete and Gold, which also reached number one. Their tenth album, Medicine at Midnight, came out in 2021. The band's tour for this album was canceled after the sad passing of Taylor Hawkins in March 2022.
The eleventh Foo Fighters album, But Here We Are, was released in 2023. It is dedicated to Taylor Hawkins and Grohl's mother, who both passed away in 2022.
Other Work
Music Projects
Grohl often works on music projects outside of Foo Fighters. In 1993, he played drums for the Backbeat Band. This was a group of famous musicians who recreated music from the Beatles for a movie.
In the early 2000s, Grohl created Probot. This was a heavy metal project where he invited his favorite metal singers from the 1980s to record songs. An album was released in 2004.
Grohl has played drums for many other artists. He played on Tenacious D's first album and appeared in their music videos. He also played drums for Nine Inch Nails and Garbage. He played guitar on a song for David Bowie.
In 2008, Grohl was a special guest for Paul McCartney at a concert. He played drums and sang with McCartney.
In 2009, Grohl formed a supergroup called Them Crooked Vultures with Josh Homme and John Paul Jones. They released their first album that year.
In 2013, Grohl directed a documentary called Sound City. It was about the famous recording studio where Nirvana recorded Nevermind. He also directed an eight-part TV series called Sonic Highways in 2014.
Grohl has also done fun collaborations. In 2020, he had an online drum battle with a 10-year-old drummer named Nandi Bushell. He even wrote a song for her! He later invited her to play with Foo Fighters on stage.
During Hanukkah, Grohl has released covers of songs by Jewish artists with Greg Kurstin. This project is called The Hanukkah Sessions. In 2021, Grohl released his autobiography, The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music.
Television and Film
Grohl has been a musical guest on Saturday Night Live many times. He has appeared with Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and other artists. He has also been in some funny sketches on the show.
He voiced a character in the MTV animated series Daria. He also voiced a character in the Cartoon Network show Metalocalypse.
In 2015, David Letterman chose Grohl and Foo Fighters to be the last musical guests on his final Late Show with David Letterman episode. Letterman said "Everlong" was his favorite song. Grohl also had a "drum off" with Animal on The Muppets.
In 2019, Grohl appeared on Sesame Street. In 2021, he was a guest storyteller on CBeebies Bedtime Story, reading a story based on a Beatles song.
Grohl has directed many Foo Fighters music videos. He also directed the documentary What Drives Us in 2021, which is about bands touring in vans. In 2022, he and Foo Fighters starred as themselves in the horror-comedy film Studio 666.
Musicianship
Grohl is a self-taught musician. He plays by ear and cannot read music. His main guitars are based on the Gibson ES-335. He has a special signature model guitar called the Pelham Blue Gibson DG-335. He plays guitar very aggressively.
His drum kit is designed by Drum Workshop. It includes many different sized drums and cymbals.
Advocacy and Personal Life
In 2006, Grohl sent a message of support to two miners trapped in Australia. They had asked for a Foo Fighters album. Grohl promised them tickets to any Foo Fighters show once they were rescued. One of the miners later took him up on the offer.
Grohl supports same-sex marriage. He has worn a White Knot ribbon, a symbol of support. He has also taken part in protests against groups that are against LGBTQ+ rights.
He supports gun control. Grohl has also performed at events for political campaigns, including for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Grohl has been married twice. He married Jennifer Leigh Youngblood in 1994, and they later divorced. In 2003, he married Jordyn Blum. They live in Los Angeles and have three daughters.
Grohl has some hearing loss in his left ear from years of performing. He has learned to read lips for about 20 years. He chooses not to use special ear monitors when playing. This is because he wants to hear his bandmates naturally.
Honors
In 2009, Grohl received the key to the city of Warren, Ohio, where he was born. A street in downtown Warren is named "David Grohl Alley" and has murals by local artists.
In 2012, Warren unveiled giant drumsticks weighing over 900 pounds. They are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest drumsticks in the world.
Rolling Stone magazine featured Grohl on its cover in 2014. In 2016, they ranked him as the 27th best drummer of all time. In 2024, Grohl received the George and Ira Gershwin Award.
Images for kids
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1991 The Year Punk Broke.jpg
Dave Grohl in the 1992 documentary 1991: The Year Punk Broke
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Grohl at the premiere of his documentary Sound City in 2013
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Dave Grohl - SXSW 2013.jpg
Grohl giving a speech at South by Southwest in 2013
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Dave Grohl - The Storyteller.jpg
Grohl at a book signing for The Storyteller in 2021
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Dave Grohl
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|---|---|
|
Grohl in 2019
|
|
| Born |
David Eric Grohl
January 14, 1969 Warren, Ohio, U.S.
|
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Jennifer Leigh Youngblood
(m. 1994; div. 1997)Jordyn Blum
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 4, including Violet Grohl |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
See also
In Spanish: Dave Grohl para niños
