:en:Dave Grohl

{{Short description|American rock musician (born 1969)}}

{{about|the American musician|the American actor|David Groh|the password cracker|DaveGrohl}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Dave Grohl

| image = FoosDublin210819-2 (48620472807) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Grohl in 2019

| birth_name = David Eric Grohl

| birth_date = {{birth date and age |1969|1|14}}

| birth_place = Warren, Ohio, U.S.

| years_active = 1983–present

| occupation = {{flatlist|

  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • {{nowrap|record producer}}

}}

| spouse = {{plainlist|

  • {{marriage|Jennifer Leigh Youngblood
    |1994|1997|end=divorced}}
  • {{marriage|Jordyn Blum
    |2003}}

}}

| children = 4, including Violet Grohl

| module = {{Infobox musical artist

| embed = yes

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| instruments = {{flatlist|

  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums

}}

| current_member_of = {{flatlist|

}}

| past_member_of = {{flatlist|

}}

| website = {{URL|foofighters.com}}

}}

}}

David Eric Grohl ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|ɹ|oʊ|l}}; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of the grunge band Nirvana.

In 1986, at age 17, Grohl joined the punk rock band Scream, replacing drummer Kent Stax. After Scream broke up in 1990, Grohl became the drummer for Nirvana. He first appeared on the band's second album, Nevermind (1991). After the 1994 suicide of Kurt Cobain, Nirvana disbanded and Grohl formed Foo Fighters as a one-man project. After he released the album Foo Fighters in 1995, he assembled a full band to tour and record under the Foo Fighters name. They have since released 11 studio albums.

Grohl is also the drummer and co-founder of the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, and has recorded and toured with Queens of the Stone Age and Tenacious D. He has organized side projects Late!, which released the album Pocketwatch, and Probot. Grohl began directing Foo Fighters music videos in 1997. He released his debut documentary, Sound City, in 2013, then the 2014 documentary miniseries Sonic Highways and the 2021 documentary film What Drives Us. In 2021, Grohl released an autobiography, The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music.{{Cite book |last=Grohl |first=David |title=The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music |year=2021|publisher=Dey Street Books |isbn=9780063076099 |location=New York |oclc=1340717114 }}{{Cite web

| url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/oct/17/the-storyteller-by-dave-grohl-a-foo-fighter-pulls-his-punches | title=The Storyteller by Dave Grohl – a Foo Fighter pulls his punches | first=Kitty |last=Empire | work=The Guardian | date=October 17, 2021}} In 2022, he and the Foo Fighters starred as themselves in the comedy horror film Studio 666.

In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked Grohl the 27th-best drummer of all time. Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Nirvana in 2014 and as a member of Foo Fighters in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Withers |first=Tom |date=October 30, 2021 |title=Jay-Z, Foo Fighters welcomed into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame |url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-travel-arts-and-entertainment-music-fac829f476127c21a37a058f1bd12143 |work=Associated Press}}

Early life

Grohl was born in Warren, Ohio, on January 14, 1969,{{cite web | url=https://www.exploretrumbullcounty.com/blog/trumbull-county-resident-spotlight-dave-grohl/ | title=TRUMBULL COUNTY RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT: DAVE GROHL | work=Trumbull County, Ohio| date=August 11, 2021 }} the son of teacher Virginia Jean (née Hanlon) and newswriter James Harper Grohl.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ks1JAAAAIBAJ&dq=virginia-hanlon-teacher-troth-told-is-bride-of-news&pg=5088%2C3102676 |title=Virginia Hanlon, teacher, is Bride of News Writer|newspaper=The Vindicator |location=Youngstown, Ohio|date=January 28, 1961|volume=LXXII|number=151|access-date=June 17, 2015}} He is of German, Slovak (on his father's side), Irish, and English (on his mother's side) descent.{{cite book|last=Apter|first=Jeff|title=The Dave Grohl Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gbnpNc_TZt0C&pg=PT21|access-date=May 27, 2014|date=November 5, 2009|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-85712-021-2|page=21}}{{cite book|last=Brannigan|first=Paul|title=This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fPEo7gRnlSQC&pg=PT12|access-date=May 27, 2014|date=September 29, 2011|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|isbn=978-0-00-739124-0|page=12}} His father, James, was a journalist and the special assistant to U.S. Senator Robert Taft Jr. James was described as "a talented political observer who possessed the ability to call every major election with uncanny accuracy".{{cite web|url=https://www.tribtoday.com/obituaries/2014/08/james-h-grohl/|title=Obituary – James H. Grohl|year=2014|publisher=Warren (Ohio) Tribune Chronicle|access-date=November 22, 2019}} When he was a child, Grohl's family moved to Springfield, Virginia. When he was seven, his parents divorced,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/sep/14/popandrock.foofighters|title=Interview: 'I've never gotten off on chaos'|first=Keith|last=Cameron|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London, UK|date=September 14, 2007|access-date=June 17, 2015}} and he was subsequently raised by his mother. At the age of 12, he began learning to play guitar. He grew tired of lessons and instead taught himself, eventually playing in bands with friends.{{cite book|last=Azzerrad|first=Michael|title=Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana|publisher=Doubleday|year=1993|page=148|isbn=0-385-47199-8}} He said, "I was going in the direction of faster, louder, darker while my sister, Lisa, three years older, was getting seriously into new wave territory. We'd meet in the middle sometimes with Bowie and Siouxsie and the Banshees."{{cite magazine |url=https://diffuser.fm/dave-grohl-tears-for-fears/ | title=Dave Grohl Says Tears for Fears Got Him Through Puberty | first=Debra | last=Filcman | magazine=Townsquare Media | date=August 17, 2017}}

At 13, Grohl and his sister spent the summer at their cousin Tracey's house in Evanston, Illinois. Tracey introduced them to punk rock by taking the pair to shows by a variety of punk bands. His first concert was Naked Raygun at The Cubby Bear in Chicago in 1982.{{cite news | last=Ganz | first=Jacob | title=Dave Grohl: How To Make An Arena Feel Like A Punk Club | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2011/04/07/133965436/dave-grohl-how-to-make-an-arena-feel-like-a-punk-club? | work=NPR | date=April 7, 2011}} Grohl recalled, "From then on we were totally punk. We went home and bought Maximumrocknroll and tried to figure it all out." In Virginia, he attended Thomas Jefferson High School as a freshman, and was elected class vice president. In that capacity, he managed to play pieces of songs by punk bands like Circle Jerks and Bad Brains over the school intercom before his morning announcements. His mother decided he should transfer to Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria because his cannabis use was lowering his grades. He stayed there for two years, beginning with a repeat of his first year. After his second year, he transferred yet again to Annandale High School. While in high school, he played in several local bands, including a stint as guitarist in a band called Freak Baby, and taught himself to play drums.{{Cite news | url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2018-11-21-you-can-now-listen-to-the-band-dave-grohl-was-in-long-before-nirvana/ | title=You Can Now Listen to the Band Dave Grohl Was In Long Before Nirvana | first=Katrina | last=Nattress | work=iHeartRadio | date=November 21, 2018}} When Freak Baby fired its bass player and reshuffled its lineup, Grohl switched to drums. The reconstituted band renamed itself Mission Impossible.

Grohl said he did not take formal drum lessons; instead, he taught himself how to play the drums by listening to Rush and punk rock.{{Citation|last=theoffcamerashow|title=Dave Grohl Proves You Don't Need Lessons to Rock|date=July 8, 2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixo-MQ0u6SA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ixo-MQ0u6SA| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=March 22, 2019}}{{cbignore}} Rush drummer Neil Peart was an early influence: "When I got 2112 when I was eight years old, it fucking changed the direction of my life. I heard the drums. It made me want to become a drummer."{{Cite web|date=April 26, 2013|url=https://www.rttnews.com/2103300/dave-grohl-says-he-cried-after-meeting-rush-s-neil-peart.aspx|title=Dave Grohl Says He Cried After Meeting Rush's Neil Peart|website=RTTNews|access-date=October 4, 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Blabbermouth |date=2020-01-11 |title=DAVE GROHL On NEIL PEART: 'His Power, Precision And Composition Was Incomparable' |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/dave-grohl-on-neil-peart-his-power-precision-and-composition-was-incomparable |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}} During his developing years as a drummer, Grohl cited John Bonham as his greatest influence, and eventually had Bonham's three-rings symbol tattooed on his right shoulder.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohl-reveals-tales-behind-his-trio-of-led-zeppelin-tattoos-182092/ |title=Dave Grohl Reveals Tales Behind His Trio of Led Zeppelin Tattoos | magazine=Rolling Stone |date=November 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617173202/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dave-grohl-reveals-tales-behind-his-trio-of-led-zeppelin-tattoos-20091116 |archive-date=June 17, 2015| url-status=live}} Mission Impossible rebranded themselves Fast before breaking up, after which Grohl joined the hardcore punk band Dain Bramage in December 1985.Azerrad, p. 149{{cite news | url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/seven-degrees-of-dave-grohl/ | title=The Six Degrees Of Dave Grohl | work=Universal Music Group | date=January 14, 2024}} In March 1987, Dain Bramage ended when Grohl quit without warning to join Scream, having produced the I Scream Not Coming Down LP. Many of Grohl's early influences were at the 9:30 Club, a music venue in Washington, D.C. In April 2010, he said, "I went to the 9:30 Club hundreds of times. I was always so excited to get there, and I was always bummed when it closed. I spent my teenage years at the club and saw some shows that changed my life."{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/16/AR2010041602110.html|title=Welcome to the Club: An oral history of D.C.'s 9:30 club on its 30th anniversary|date=April 18, 2010|newspaper=Washington Post Magazine|access-date=August 17, 2011}}

Career

= Scream (1986–1990) =

{{Main|Scream (band)}}

File:Dave Grohl 1989.jpg

As a teenager in Washington, D.C., Grohl briefly contemplated joining Gwar, a shock rock band that was seeking a drummer.{{Cite magazine|last=Hiatt|first=Brian|date=September 28, 2021|title='Never Gonna Give You Up' Is 'Exactly The Same' As 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' – and 11 Other Things We Learned From Dave Grohl|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/12-things-we-learned-from-dave-grohl-storyteller-book-nirvana-foo-fighters-2-1233133/|access-date=September 28, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone}} At age 17, he auditioned for the local band Scream after the departure of the drummer, Kent Stax. Grohl lied about his age, claiming he was older.Lynskey, Dorian. "[http://www.fooarchive.com/features/arena2002.htm The Man Who Fell To Earth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404004834/http://www.fooarchive.com/features/arena2002.htm |date=April 4, 2007 }}". Arena. December 2002. To his surprise, the band asked him to join, so he dropped out of high school in his junior year. He said: "I was 17 and extremely anxious to see the world, so I did it."Azerrad, p. 150

Over the next four years, Grohl toured extensively with Scream, recording a live album (their show of May 4, 1990, in Alzey, Germany, being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10) and two studio albums, No More Censorship and Fumble, for which Grohl wrote and sang "Gods Look Down". During a Toronto stop on their 1987 tour, Grohl played drums for Iggy Pop at a CD release party held at El Mocambo.{{cite web|publisher=Now|url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/fighters-kick-ass/|title=Fighters kick ass|date=March 24, 2008}} In 1990, Scream unexpectedly disbanded mid-tour following the departure of their bassist, Skeeter Thompson.

=Nirvana (1990–1994)=

{{Main|Nirvana (band)}}

While playing in Scream, Grohl became a fan of the Melvins and eventually befriended them. During a 1990 tour stop on the West Coast, the Melvins guitarist Buzz Osborne took his friends Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, members of Nirvana, to see a Scream performance.{{Cite web|last=Levin |first=Hannah |url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/melvins-6573954 |title=Melvins |website=Houston Press |date=August 26, 2009 |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206213545/https://www.houstonpress.com/music/melvins-6573954 |url-status=live}} In October 2010, Grohl told Q, "I remember being in the same room with them and thinking, 'What? That's Nirvana? Are you kidding?' Because on their record cover they looked like psycho lumberjacks... I was like, 'What, that little dude and that big motherfucker? You're kidding me.'"Q, October 2010 Following the breakup of Scream, Grohl called Osborne for advice.CROSS, C. H. A. R. L. E. S. R. (2019). Heavier than heaven: The biography of Kurt Cobain. HODDER & STOUGHTON LTD. Osborne informed him that Nirvana was seeking a drummer, and gave Grohl the phone numbers of Cobain and Novoselic, who invited Grohl to Seattle to audition. Grohl soon joined.{{cite news | url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/dave-grohl-thanks-melvins-giving-him-nirvanas-phone-number | title=DAVE GROHL THANKS MELVINS FOR GIVING HIM NIRVANA'S PHONE NUMBER | first=WILL | last=NAVIDSON | work=Revolver | date=April 18, 2023}}

Nirvana had already recorded several demos for the followup to their 1989 debut album, Bleach, and had spent time recording with the producer Butch Vig in Wisconsin. Initially, the plan was to release the album on Sub Pop, but Nirvana received a great deal of interest based on the demos. Grohl spent the initial months with Nirvana traveling to various labels to discuss record deals, and signed with DGC Records.

In early 1991, the band entered Sound City Studios in Los Angeles to record Nevermind, which is depicted in Grohl's 2013 documentary Sound City.{{Cite news |last=Halperin | first=Shirley | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/dave-grohl-butch-vig-grammy-adele-nirvana-289304/ | title=Grammys 2012: Dave Grohl and Butch Vig Reflect on Nirvana, Adele and the State of the Music Business (Q&A) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=February 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513112143/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dave-grohl-butch-vig-grammy-adele-nirvana-289304 |archive-date=May 13, 2019|url-status=live}} Nevermind (1991) exceeded all expectations and became a worldwide commercial success.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MWA6a9AKhzUC | title=The Drummer: 100 Years of Rhythmic Power and Invention |page=253 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4768-5589-9}} At the same time, Grohl was compiling and recording his own material, which he released on a cassette, Pocketwatch in 1992, on the indie label Simple Machines. Grohl released the cassette under the pseudonym "Late!"{{cite web | title=Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters - Extended interview – Lollapalooza 2011 |url=https://www.timeout.com/chicago/music/dave-grohl-of-foo-fighters-extended-interview-lollapalooza-2011 |work=Time Out Chicago | date=July 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424202757/https://www.timeout.com/chicago/music/dave-grohl-of-foo-fighters-interview-lollapalooza-2011 |archive-date=April 24, 2018 |url-status=live}}

In the later years with Nirvana, Grohl's songwriting contributions to the band increased. In Grohl's initial months in Olympia, Washington,{{cite book | last1 = Borzillo-Vrenna | first1 = Carrie | title = Nirvana – The Day to Day Illustrated Journals | edition = 1st | publisher = Barnes & Noble | year = 2003 | pages = 64 | isbn = 0-7607-4893-4}} Cobain overheard him working on the song "Color Pictures of a Marigold", and the two subsequently worked on it together. Grohl later recorded the song for the Pocketwatch cassette. Grohl said in a 2014 episode of Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways that Cobain reacted by kissing him upon first hearing a demo of "Alone + Easy Target" that Grohl had recently recorded.{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/dave-grohl-opens-up-on-why-he-didnt-write-any-nirvana-songs|title=Dave Grohl opens up on why he didn't write any Nirvana songs|last=Edwards|first=Briony|website=loudersound|date=July 9, 2018|access-date=May 13, 2019}}

During the sessions for In Utero, Nirvana rerecorded "Color Pictures of a Marigold" and released it as a B-side on the "Heart-Shaped Box" single, retitled "Marigold". Grohl also contributed the riff for "Scentless Apprentice". Cobain said in a 1993 interview with MTV that he initially thought the riff was "kind of boneheaded", but was gratified at how the song developed, a process captured in part in a demo on the Nirvana box set With the Lights Out. Cobain said that he was excited at the possibility of having Novoselic and Grohl contribute more to the band's songwriting.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/qa-dave-grohl-on-kurts-last-days-and-the-making-of-in-utero-2-108580/ |title=Q&A: Dave Grohl on Kurt's Last Days and the Making of 'In Utero' |last=Fricke |first=David |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513113138/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/qa-dave-grohl-on-kurts-last-days-and-the-making-of-in-utero-2-108580/ |archive-date=May 13, 2019 |url-status=live}}

Prior to Nirvana's 1994 European tour, the band scheduled session time at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle to work on demos. For most of the three-day session, Cobain was absent, so Novoselic and Grohl worked on demos of their own songs. They completed several of Grohl's songs, including the future Foo Fighters songs "Exhausted", "Big Me", "February Stars", and "Butterflies". Cobain arrived on the third day, and the band recorded a demo of "You Know You're Right". It was Nirvana's final studio recording before the suicide of Cobain on April 5, 1994.{{Cite magazine|last=Peters|first=Mitchell|date=November 30, 2014|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6334646/nirvana-kurt-cobain-kissed-dave-grohl-after-hearing-foo-fighters-demo-sonic-highways|title=Nirvana's Kurt Cobain Kissed Dave Grohl After Hearing Foo Fighters Demo |magazine=Billboard |access-date=May 13, 2019}}{{Cite web|last=Heard |first=Chris |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3568909.stm |title=Torment of rock hero Cobain |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512025431/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3568909.stm|archive-date=May 12, 2011 |url-status=live |work=BBC News |date=April 6, 2004 |access-date=August 22, 2010}} On April 10, 2014, Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nirvana.{{cite web|url=https://rockhall.com/blog/post/2014-rock-hall-induction-ceremony-special-guests/|title=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces Special Guests for the 29th Annual Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center|website=Rockhall.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413130632/https://rockhall.com/blog/post/2014-rock-hall-induction-ceremony-special-guests/|archive-date=April 13, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=May 20, 2014}}

= Foo Fighters (1994–present) =

{{Main|Foo Fighters}}

==Initial post-Nirvana activity==

Following Cobain's death, Grohl went into isolation and retreated for several months, unsure of what to do next, and moved to County Kerry, Ireland.{{Cite web |last=Kavanagh |first=Grainne |date=October 12, 2021 |title=Dave Grohl REVEALS trip to IRELAND inspired formation of Foo Fighters |url=https://meanwhileinireland.com/dave-grohl-reveals-trip-to-ireland-inspired-formation-of-foo-fighters/ |access-date=December 25, 2023 |website=Meanwhile in Ireland |language=en-GB}} In a 2022 interview, Grohl said:

{{Blockquote|text=I was still in Seattle, and I just felt, "I gotta get out." I [had to] go somewhere where I could just disappear and sort through my life, and try to figure out what to do next... I was winding around these country roads – so beautiful – and I was finding peace… and I come upon this hitchhiker, and I was considering picking him up, and I saw that he had a Kurt Cobain T-shirt. And to me that meant: "You can't outrun this thing, so it's time … to push through and find some sort of continuation." So I flew home and I immediately started recording those Foo Fighters songs.|author=Dave Grohl{{Cite web |last=Alexa |first=Bob |date=2022-10-16 |title=How Dave Grohl Dealt with Kurt Cobain's Death |url=https://www.wearethepit.com/2022/10/how-dave-grohl-dealt-with-kurt-cobains-death/}}}}

In October 1994, he scheduled studio time at Robert Lang Studios and quickly recorded a fifteen-track demo. With the exception of a single guitar part on "X-Static" played by Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, Grohl performed all of the instruments himself.{{cite news|last=Kirby|first=David|title=Dave Grohl: From Antsy Student to Nirvana to Foo Fighters|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/books/review/this-is-a-call-the-life-and-times-of-dave-grohl-by-paul-brannigan-book-review.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/books/review/this-is-a-call-the-life-and-times-of-dave-grohl-by-paul-brannigan-book-review.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited|access-date=March 26, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 20, 2012}}{{cbignore}}

Grohl wondered if his future might be in drumming for other bands. In November, Grohl took a brief turn with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including a performance on Saturday Night Live. He declined an invitation to become Petty's permanent drummer.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/thisiscalllifeti00bran_0 |first=Paul |last=Brannigan|title=This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl | url-access=registration |year=2011|publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0-306-81956-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/thisiscalllifeti00bran_0/page/236 236]}}{{cite news | url=https://loudwire.com/dave-grohl-explains-turned-down-tom-petty-drumming-offer/ | title=Dave Grohl: Why I Turned Down Joining Tom Petty After Nirvana | first=Chad | last=Childers | work=Loudwire | date=February 15, 2021}} Grohl was also rumored as a possible replacement for Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese and performed with the band for a song or two at three shows during Pearl Jam's March 1995 Australian tour. However, by then, Pearl Jam had already settled on ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons, and Grohl had other solo plans.{{cite book|author=Pearl Jam|title=Pearl Jam Twenty|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M89kbBxGK4MC&pg=PA148|access-date=March 26, 2013|date=September 13, 2011|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4391-6940-7|pages=148}}{{cite book|first=Alan|last=Cross|title=Pearl Jam: the secret history|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ordeqqbm378C&pg=PT28|access-date=March 26, 2013|date=June 26, 2012|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-1-927002-19-3|pages=28}}

==1994–1996==

After his demo received interest from major labels, Grohl was signed by Gary Gersh, Nirvana's A&R rep-turned-president of Capitol Records. Grohl did not want the effort to be considered the start of a solo career, so he recruited other band members: former Germs and touring Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear and two members of the recently disbanded Sunny Day Real Estate: William Goldsmith (drums) and Nate Mendel (bass).{{Cite news |last=MILLMAN |first=ZOSHA |title=Origin stories of the Seattle area's iconic bands |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Origin-stories-of-the-Seattle-area-s-iconic-bands-12162323.php |access-date=June 7, 2024 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |language=en}} He and Novoselic decided against Novoselic joining; Grohl said it would have felt "really natural" for them to work together again, but would have been uncomfortable for the other band members and placed more pressure on Grohl.{{cite magazine |last=Mundy |first=Chris |date=October 5, 1995 |title=Invasion of the Foo Fighters |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/invasion-of-the-foo-fighers-19951005 |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220011937/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/invasion-of-the-foo-fighers-19951005 |archive-date=December 20, 2014 |access-date=November 18, 2014}} Excerpt only; subscription required for full article. Grohl's demo was remixed by Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock and released in July 1995 as Foo Fighters' self-titled debut album.{{Cite web |last=Stavropoulos |first=Laura |date=July 4, 2022 |title=reDiscover Foo Fighters' Debut Album |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/rediscover-foo-fighters-debut-album/ |access-date=June 7, 2024 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}} During a break between tours, the band entered the studio and recorded a cover of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park". In February 1996, Grohl and his then-wife Jennifer Youngblood made a brief cameo appearance on The X-Files third-season episode "Pusher".{{Cite book | year=1996 | last=Lowry | first=Brian | title=Trust No One: The Official Guide to the X-Files | url=https://archive.org/details/trustnooneoffici00lowr | url-access=registration | isbn=0061053538 | publisher=Harper Prism |page=176}}

After touring for the self-titled album for more than a year, Grohl returned home and began work on the soundtrack to the 1997 movie Touch. Grohl performed all of the instruments and vocals himself, save for vocals from Veruca Salt singer Louise Post on the title track, keyboards by Barrett Jones (who also co-produced the record) on one track, and vocals and guitar by X's John Doe on "This Loving Thing (Lynn's Song)". Grohl completed the recording in two weeks, and immediately joined Foo Fighters to work on their follow-up.

During the initial sessions for Foo Fighters' second album, tension emerged between Grohl and drummer Goldsmith. Goldsmith said, "Dave had me do 96 takes of one song, and I had to do 13 hours' worth of takes on another one...It just seemed that everything I did wasn't good enough for him, or anyone else". Goldsmith also believed that Capitol and producer Gil Norton wanted Grohl to drum on the album.Roberts, Michael. [http://bestof.miaminewtimes.com/1998-12-03/music/bring-back-that-sunny-day "Bring Back that Sunny Day"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20090825182828/http://bestof.miaminewtimes.com/1998-12-03/music/bring-back-that-sunny-day |date=August 25, 2009 }} Miami New Times. December 3, 1998. With the album seemingly complete, Grohl headed home to Virginia with a copy of the rough mixes and found himself unhappy with the results. He wrote and recorded a few new songs, "Walking After You" and the hit single "Everlong", alone at a studio in Washington, D.C. Inspired by the session, Grohl opted to move the band, without Goldsmith's knowledge, to Los Angeles to re-record most of the album with Grohl on drums. After the sessions were complete, Goldsmith announced his departure from the band, and was replaced by Former Alanis Morissette drummer Taylor Hawkins.{{Cite web |date=October 26, 2021 |title=The Real Reason Foo Fighters' Former Drummer Quit The Band Is Revealed |url=https://uproxx.com/indie/dave-grohl-foo-figthers-william-goldsmith-drummer-quit/ |access-date=June 7, 2024 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}} Grohl later expressed regret, and said, "There were a lot of reasons it didn't work out, but there was also a part of me that was like, you know, I don't know if I'm finished playing the drums yet".{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWhsYINKcKM#t=2m56s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/WWhsYINKcKM| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|title=Oxegen 2011 – Foo Fighters Dave Grohl|publisher=YouTube|date=July 10, 2011|access-date=November 4, 2011}}{{cbignore}}

The album was released in May 1997 as The Colour and the Shape. It produced several singles, including "Everlong", "My Hero", and "Monkey Wrench", and cemented Foo Fighters as a staple of rock radio.{{Cite web |last=Irwin |first=Corey|date=2022-05-20 |title=How Foo Fighters Became a Band on 'The Colour and the Shape' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/foo-fighters-the-colour-and-the-shape/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |language=en}}

The following September, Smear left the band, citing a need to settle down after a lifetime of touring. Smear was replaced by Grohl's former Scream bandmate Franz Stahl. Stahl departed before the band recorded its third album and was replaced by touring guitarist Chris Shiflett, who later became a full-fledged member during the recording of One by One.

==1999–2005==

Grohl's life of non-stop touring and travel continued with Foo Fighters' popularity. During his infrequent pauses he lived in Seattle and Los Angeles before returning to Alexandria, Virginia. It was there that he turned his basement into a recording studio where the 1999 album There Is Nothing Left to Lose was recorded.{{cite video|author=Moll, James (director)|title=Back and Forth|year=2011|medium=documentary|publisher=RCA}} It was recorded following the departure from Capitol and their former president Gary Gersh. Grohl described the recording experience as "intoxicating at times" because the band members were left completely to their own devices. He added, "One of the advantages of finishing the record before we had a new label was that it was purely our creation. It was complete and not open to outside tampering."{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/981242/0|magazine=Billboard|date=October 16, 1999|access-date=September 25, 2016|title=Foo Fighters had 'Nothing To Lose'|

last=Flick|first= Larry|volume=111|issue=42|pages=14–14, 44}}

In 2000, the band recruited Queen guitarist Brian May to add some guitar flourish to a cover of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar", a song which Foo Fighters previously recorded as a B-side. The friendship between the two bands resulted in Grohl and Taylor Hawkins being asked to induct Queen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.{{cite web|title=Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins induct Queen|url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/queen/transcript/dave-grohl-and-taylor-hawkins-/|work=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=March 29, 2013}} Grohl and Hawkins joined May and Queen drummer Roger Taylor to perform "Tie Your Mother Down", with Grohl standing in on vocals for Freddie Mercury.{{cite news | url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/foo-fighters-491-1353630 |title=Foo Fighters joined by Queen legends | work=NME | date=June 18, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521043625/http://www.nme.com/news/nme/23362 |archive-date=May 21, 2013 |url-status=live }} May later contributed guitar work for the song "Tired of You" on the ensuing Foo Fighters album, as well as on an unreleased Foo Fighters song called "Knucklehead".

File:Dave Grohl (132997591).jpeg

Near the end of 2001, Foo Fighters returned to the studio to work on their fourth album. After four months in the studio, with the sessions finished, Grohl accepted an invitation to join Queens of the Stone Age and helped them to record their 2002 album Songs for the Deaf. (Grohl can be seen drumming for the band in the video for the song "No One Knows".) After a brief tour through North America, Britain and Japan with the band and feeling rejuvenated by the effort, Grohl recalled the other band members to completely re-record their album at his studio in Virginia. The effort became their fourth album, One by One.

On November 23, 2002, Grohl achieved a historical milestone by replacing himself on the top of the Billboard modern rock chart, when "You Know You're Right" by Nirvana was replaced by "All My Life" by Foo Fighters. When "All My Life" ended its run, after a one-week respite, "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age took the number one spot. Between October 26, 2002, and March 1, 2003, Grohl was in the number one spot on the Modern rock charts for 17 of 18 successive weeks, as a member of three different groups.

==2005–2009==

File:Dave Grohl in London.jpg

Grohl and Foo Fighters released their fifth album In Your Honor on June 14, 2005. Prior to starting work on the album, the band spent almost a year relocating Grohl's home-based Virginia studio to a brand new facility, dubbed Studio 606, located in a warehouse near Los Angeles. Featuring collaborations with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Norah Jones, the album was a departure from previous efforts, and included one rock and one acoustic disc.

Foo Fighters' sixth studio album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was released on September 25, 2007. It was recorded during a three-month period between March 2007 and June 2007, and its release was preceded by the first single "The Pretender" on September 17. The second single, "Long Road to Ruin", was released on December 3, 2007, followed by the third single, "Let It Die", on June 24, 2008.

File:Foo Fighters 2009.jpg

On November 3, 2009, Foo Fighters released their first Greatest Hits collection, consisting of 16 tracks including a previously unreleased acoustic version of "Everlong" and two new tracks "Wheels" and "Word Forward" which were produced by Nevermind's producer Butch Vig. Grohl said he felt the Greatest Hits was too early and "can look like an obituary". He did not feel they had written their best hits yet.{{cite news|last=Cochrane|first=Greg|title=Foo Fighters Best Of 'premature'|publisher=BBC|date=November 4, 2009|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_10000000/newsid_10002700/10002731.stm|access-date=November 18, 2009|location=London}}

==2010–2014==

Foo Fighters' seventh studio album, Wasting Light, was released on April 12, 2011. It became the band's first album to reach No. 1 in the United States.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/foo-fighters/chart-history/tlp/ |title=Foo Fighters Chart History (Billboard 200) |magazine=Billboard |access-date=March 3, 2022}} Despite rumors of a hiatus,{{cite web|last=Crossan|first=Jamie|url=https://www.nme.com/news/foo-fighters/66395|title=Dave Grohl hints at Foo Fighters hiatus|publisher=Nme.Com|date=October 1, 2012|access-date=March 26, 2013}} Grohl confirmed in January 2013 that the band had completed writing material for their follow-up to Wasting Light.{{cite web|last=Montgomery|first=James|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700660/dave-grohl-foo-fighters-new-album.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125202835/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700660/dave-grohl-foo-fighters-new-album.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2013 |title=Dave Grohl Says Foo Fighters 'Have A Plan' For Their Next Album|website=MTV.com|date=January 23, 2013|access-date=March 26, 2013}}

Grohl and members of Foo Fighters sometimes perform as a cover band "Chevy Metal",{{Cite web| url=http://uproxx.com/music/2015/05/foo-fighters-chevy-metal-county-fair/ |title=This Really Good Cover Band Playing A County Fair Looks Suspiciously Like The Foo Fighters | work=Uproxx |last=O'Connell |first=Ryan | date=May 14, 2015}} as they did in May 2015 at "Conejo Valley Days", a county fair in Thousand Oaks, California.

On November 10, 2014, Foo Fighters released their eighth studio album, Sonic Highways, which reached number two in the United States. The album features eight songs, each inspired by a different U.S. city's musical history and culture researched by Grohl himself.{{cite web|url=http://divirta-se.uai.com.br/app/noticia/musica/2014/09/27/noticia_musica,159761/guitarrista-do-foo-fighters-fala-sobre-novo-disco-em-entrevista.shtml|title=Guitarrista do Foo Fighters fala sobre novo disco em entrevista exclusiva|language=pt|work=Estado de Minas|first=Mariana|last=Peixoto|date=September 27, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2014}}

==2015–present==

File:Foo Fighters Fenway Park 2015 (cropped).jpg

On June 12, 2015, while playing a show in Gothenburg, Sweden, Grohl fell off the stage, breaking his leg. He left temporarily and returned with a cast to finish the concert.{{cite magazine |last=Coleman |first=Miriam |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohl-breaks-leg-but-continues-to-rock-in-sweden-34896/ | title=Dave Grohl Breaks Leg But Continues to Rock in Sweden|magazine=Rolling Stone | date=June 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803213348/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dave-grohl-breaks-leg-but-continues-to-rock-in-sweden-20150613 |archive-date=August 3, 2017 |url-status=live}} Afterward, the band canceled the remainder of its European tour. To avoid having to cancel the band's upcoming North American tour, Grohl designed a large "elevated throne" which would allow him to perform on stage with a broken leg. The throne was unveiled at a concert in Washington, D.C., on July 4, where Grohl used the stage's video screens to show the crowd video of him falling from the stage in Gothenburg as well as X-rays of his broken leg.{{cite news |last=Snider |first=Mike |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2015/07/05/foo-fighters-washington-dc-july-4-festival/29730377/ |title=Foo Fighters finish off a rousing July 4 festival |newspaper=USA Today |date=July 5, 2015 |access-date=July 9, 2015 }} Beginning with the show on July 4, Foo Fighters began selling new tour merchandise rebranding the band's North American tour as the Broken Leg Tour. In 2016, Grohl lent his throne to Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses after Rose broke his foot.{{Cite web|date=September 29, 2021|title=Dave Grohl lends his throne to Greyhawk bassist who was shot in the leg|url=https://www.spin.com/2021/09/dave-grohl-lends-his-throne-to-greyhawk-bassist-after-suffering-gunshot-wound/|url-status=live|access-date=January 12, 2022|website=Spin|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929184905/https://www.spin.com/2021/09/dave-grohl-lends-his-throne-to-greyhawk-bassist-after-suffering-gunshot-wound/ |archive-date=September 29, 2021 }} He lent it again in 2021 to Darin Wall, of the Seattle metal band Greyhawk, after Wall was shot in the leg.

On July 31, 2015, Grohl posted a personal reply to Fabio Zaffagnini, Marco Sabiu, and the 1,000 participants of the "Rockin' 1000" project in Cesena, Italy, thanking them for their combined performance of the Foo Fighters' song "Learn to Fly", indicating (in broken Italian), "... I promise [Foo Fighters will] see you soon".{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/3981159/dave-grohl-foo-fighters-italy/ | title=Dave Grohl Has the Best Response to the 1,000 Italian Fans Who Played 'Learn to Fly' |magazine=Time |first=Eliza |last=Gray| date=August 1, 2015}}{{cite news | url=https://www.etonline.com/news/169171_dave_grohl_responds_in_italian_after_1_000_musicians_play_foo_fighters_song_unison | title=Dave Grohl Responds After 1,000 Musicians Play Foo Fighters Song in Unison, Plus 5 More Reasons Why He's Awesome | first=Brock | last=Wilbur | work=Entertainment Tonight | date=August 1, 2015}} On November 3, Foo Fighters performed in Cesena, where Grohl invited some "Rockin' 1000" members onto the stage to perform with the band.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6752965/foo-fighters-italy-cesena-viral-video-concert-dave-grohl |title=Watch Foo Fighters Play the Italian City That Made Crazy Viral Video to Invite Them | last=Payne | first=Chris | magazine=Billboard | date=November 4, 2015}}

On September 15, 2017, Foo Fighters released their ninth studio album Concrete and Gold, which became the band's second album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. After the Concrete and Gold Tour, Grohl announced that the band would be taking a break.{{cite web|last=Trendell|first=Andrew|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/foo-fighters-take-break-before-new-album-2390904|title=Foo Fighters to 'take a break' – but have ideas for their new album|work=NME|access-date=November 8, 2020|date=October 17, 2018}} The tenth Foo Fighters studio album, Medicine at Midnight, was released on February 5, 2021, following delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/foo-fighters-medicine-at-midnight-stream-9521786/ | title=Take Your 'Medicine': Foo Fighters Drop New Album | first=Lars | last=Brandle | magazine=Billboard | date=February 5, 2021}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/05/963803253/dave-grohl-talks-foo-fighters-new-saturday-night-party-album-medicine-at-midnigh | title=Dave Grohl Talks Foo Fighters' New Saturday-Night Party Album, 'Medicine At Midnight' | first1=Rachel | last1=Martin | first2=Phil | last2=Harrell | work=NPR | date=February 5, 2021}}{{Cite magazine | url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/foo-fighters-nate-mendel-medicine-at-midnight-22831/ | title=Foo Fighters' Nate Mendel Reflects on The Weirdness of Finally Releasing 'Medicine At Midnight' | first=ALEXANDER | last=PAN | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=February 5, 2021}} It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The Medicine at Midnight tour was canceled following the death of Hawkins on March 25, 2022.{{Cite web |title=Foo Fighters cancel all upcoming tour dates after death of Taylor Hawkins |url=https://news.sky.com/story/foo-fighters-cancel-all-upcoming-tour-dates-after-death-of-taylor-hawkins-12577736 |access-date=March 29, 2022 |website=Sky News}} The eleventh Foo Fighters studio album But Here We Are was released on June 2, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Foo Fighters on Instagram: "This Is Happening Now. Listen to 'Rescued' From the Album 'But Here We Are' Available June 2 Pre-order link in bio." |url=https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrN6uBSOINl/ |access-date=April 20, 2023 |website=Instagram |language=en}} The album is dedicated to Hawkins and Grohl's mother, Virginia, both of whom died in 2022.{{cite web | title=Foo Fighters dedicate new album to Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl's mom | website=San Francisco Examiner | date=November 15, 2022 | url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/lifestyles/entertainment/foo-fighters-dedicate-new-album-to-taylor-hawkins-and-dave-grohls-mom/article_12d04326-1c43-5653-9f0a-3f4c7465c047.html | access-date=May 18, 2023 | archive-date=May 18, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518151629/https://www.sfexaminer.com/lifestyles/entertainment/foo-fighters-dedicate-new-album-to-taylor-hawkins-and-dave-grohls-mom/article_12d04326-1c43-5653-9f0a-3f4c7465c047.html | url-status=dead }}

Other work

= Musical projects and contributions =

Grohl frequently participates in music projects apart from his main bands. In 1992, he played drums on Buzz Osborne's Kiss-styled solo-EP King Buzzo; he was credited as "Dale Nixon", a pseudonym that Greg Ginn adopted to play bass on Black Flag's My War. He also released the music cassette Pocketwatch under the pseudonym Late! on the now-defunct indie label Simple Machines.

In 1993, Grohl was recruited to help recreate the music of the Beatles' early years for the movie Backbeat.{{cite web|title=Full Cast and Credits for Backbeat (1994)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106339/fullcredits|publisher=IMDb|access-date=March 18, 2010}} In 1993–94, he played drums in the Backbeat Band, an alternative rock supergroup that also included Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, indie producer Don Fleming, Mike Mills of R.E.M., Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, and Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum.{{Cite web |last=Hodgkins |first=Charles |title=Backbeat Band |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/backbeat-band-mn0001277930#discography |access-date=January 14, 2024 |publisher=AllMusic}}

In 1994, Grohl played drums on two tracks for Mike Watt's Ball-Hog or Tugboat?. In early 1995, Grohl and Foo Fighters played their first US tour: the Ring Spiel Tour, opening for Watt and also playing, alongside Eddie Vedder, in Watt's supporting band.{{cite news |url=https://observer.com/2016/11/the-time-mike-watt-dave-grohl-and-eddie-vedder-jammed-econo/ |title=The Time Mike Watt, Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder Jammed Econo |work=The Observer |last=Cohan |first=Brad |date=November 17, 2016}}

In January 1997, Grohl played a few songs with David Bowie for Bowie's 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden.{{cite news | url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-50th-birthday-concert-anniversary/ | title=25 Years Ago: David Bowie Shares 50th Birthday Stage With Friends | first=Allison | last=Rapp | work=Townsquare Media | date=January 9, 2022}}

In the early 2000s, Grohl spent time in his basement studio writing and recording several songs for Probot, a heavy metal music project, recruiting his favorite metal vocalists from the 1980s, including Lemmy of Motörhead, Conrad Lant from Venom, King Diamond, Scott Weinrich, Snake of Voivod and Max Cavalera of Sepultura. Probot released an album in 2004.{{Cite news | url=https://www.mtv.com/news/jeom52/dave-grohl-preps-a-death-metal-supernatural-with-probot | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240622014748/https://www.mtv.com/news/jeom52/dave-grohl-preps-a-death-metal-supernatural-with-probot | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 22, 2024 | last=D'Angelo | first=Joe | title=Dave Grohl Preps A 'Death Metal Supernatural' With Probot | work=MTV News | date=January 29, 2001}}{{Cite web|last=Thompson |first=Ben |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/dave-grohl-release-the-probot-54197.html |title=Dave Grohl: Release the Probot |website=The Independent |date=April 2, 2004 |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707164304/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/dave-grohl-release-the-probot-54197.html |url-status=live}}

In 2003, Grohl stepped behind the kit to perform on Killing Joke's second self titled album, Killing Joke (2003 album).{{cite magazine|title=Grohl Gets Behind Killing Joke's 'Axis'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/71643/grohl-gets-behind-killing-jokes-axis|magazine=Billboard|date=April 7, 2003|access-date=March 26, 2013}} This surprised some fans of Nirvana, which had been accused of plagiarizing the opening riff of "Come as You Are" from Killing Joke's 1984 song "Eighties".{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/eighties-mt0028575343 |title=Eighties – Killing Joke| last=Janovitz| first=Bill |work=AllMusic |publisher=Rovi Corporation}} However, the controversy failed to create a lasting rift between the bands. Foo Fighters covered Killing Joke's "Requiem" during the late 1990s, and were joined by Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman for a performance of the song at a show in New Zealand in 2003.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nirvana-pay-back-killing-joke-243184/ |last=Vrenna |first=Carrie| title=Nirvana Pay Back Killing Joke |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 10, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608162836/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nirvana-pay-back-killing-joke-20030410 |archive-date=June 8, 2017 |url-status=live}} Also in 2003, at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Grohl performed in an ad hoc supergroup with Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Steven Van Zandt in tribute to the recently deceased singer/guitarist Joe Strummer.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZRn0dhGz7U | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/tZRn0dhGz7U| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|title=Joe Strummer Tribute-London Calling(2003 Grammys)|publisher=YouTube|date=June 14, 2006|access-date=March 26, 2013}}{{cbignore}}

File:DaveGrohlphoto.jpg

Grohl lent his drumming skills to other artists during the early 2000s. In 2000, he played drums and sang on a track, "Goodbye Lament", for Tony Iommi's album Iommi. In 2001, Grohl performed on Tenacious D's debut album, and appeared in the video for lead single "Tribute" as a demon. He later appeared in the duo's 2006 movie Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny as the devil in the song "Beelzeboss", and performed on its soundtrack. He also performed drums for their 2012 album Rize of the Fenix. In 2002, Grohl helped Chan Marshall of Cat Power on the album You Are Free and played with Queens of the Stone Age on their album Songs for the Deaf. Grohl also toured with the band in support of the album, delaying work on the Foo Fighters' album One by One. In 2004, Grohl drummed on six tracks for Nine Inch Nails' 2005 album With Teeth and played percussion on one more, later returning to play drums on 'The Idea of You' from their 2016 EP Not the Actual Events.{{cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |title=With Teeth - Album Review |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/with-teeth-108796/ |magazine=Rolling Stone | date=May 5, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119134037/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/with-teeth-20050505| archive-date=January 19, 2011 |url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen|title=With Teeth – Nine Inch Nails|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/with-teeth-mw0000472021|work=AllMusic|access-date=March 26, 2013}} He also drummed on the song "Bad Boyfriend" on Garbage's 2005 album Bleed Like Me.{{cite web|title=6 career defining records of Butch Vig|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/6-career-defining-records-of-butch-vig-211529/7|work=Rhythm|publisher=MusicRadar|access-date=March 26, 2013|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927075811/http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/6-career-defining-records-of-butch-vig-211529/7|url-status=dead}} Most recently, he recorded all the drums on Juliette and the Licks's 2006 album Four on the Floor{{cite web|title=Juliette Lewis teams up with Dave Grohl|date=September 6, 2006 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/juliette-and-the-licks/24219 |publisher=NME|access-date=October 1, 2009}} and the song "For Us" from Pete Yorn's 2006 album Nightcrawler. Beyond drumming, Grohl contributed guitar to a cover of Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting For You" on David Bowie's 2002 album Heathen.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/95cz |last=Jones |first=Chris |title=David Bowie Heathen Review|work=BBC Music|publisher=BBC| date=June 11, 2002}}

In June 2008, Grohl was Paul McCartney's special guest for a concert at the Anfield football stadium in Liverpool, in one of the central events of the English city's year as European Capital of Culture.{{cite news|title=McCartney live on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2008/05/22/macca_live_on_bbc_feature.shtml|work=BBC Online|access-date=June 4, 2008}} Grohl joined McCartney's band singing backup vocals and playing guitar on "Band on the Run" and drums on "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "I Saw Her Standing There".{{cite news|title=McCartney thrills Liverpool crowd|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/entertainment/7427464.stm|work=BBC Online|date=June 2, 2008|access-date=June 4, 2008|location=London|first=Ian |last=Youngs}} Grohl also performed with McCartney at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, again playing drums on "I Saw Her Standing There". Grohl also helped pay tribute to McCartney at the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors along with No Doubt, Norah Jones, Steven Tyler, James Taylor, and Mavis Staples. He sang a duet version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" with Norah Jones on December 5, 2010.{{cite web|title=Steven Tyler, Dave Grohl Honor McCartney at Kennedy Center|url=http://www.jambase.com/Articles/25478/Steven-Tyler-Dave-Grohl-Honor-McCartney-at-Kennedy-Center|website=JamBase.com|date=December 29, 2010|access-date=April 8, 2011}}

Grohl played drums on the tracks "Run with the Wolves" and "Stand Up" on the Prodigy's 2009 album Invaders Must Die.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/nov/06/dave-grohl-returns-to-drumming|last=Martin|first=Dan|title=Dave Grohl drums for the Prodigy |newspaper=The Guardian |date=November 6, 2008 | location=London}}

File:Dave-Grohl drums.jpg

In July 2009, Grohl along with Josh Homme and John Paul Jones formed a supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/03/dave-grohl-josh-homme-supergroup | title=Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones form supergroup | first=Sean | last=Michaels | work=The Guardian | date=July 3, 2009}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/foo-fighters-399-1318769 | title=Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin man recording together | first=Paul | last=Stokes | work=NME | date=July 2, 2009}} The trio performed their first show together on August 9, 2009, at Metro in Chicago.{{cite news | url=https://pitchfork.com/news/36161-photos-them-crooked-vultures-dave-grohljosh-hommejohn-paul-jones/ | title=Photos: Them Crooked Vultures [Dave Grohl/Josh Homme/John Paul Jones] | work=Pitchfork | date=August 10, 2009}} The band played their first UK gig on August 26, 2009, with a surprise appearance at Brixton Academy in London, supporting the Arctic Monkeys. The band released their debut album Them Crooked Vultures on November 16, 2009, in the UK and November 17, 2009, in the US.

On October 23, 2010, Grohl performed with Tenacious D at BlizzCon. He appeared as the drummer for the entire concert, and a year later he returned with Foo Fighters and played another set there, this time as guitarist and vocalist.{{cite web|url=http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?101011|title=Blizzard Entertainment: Press Releases|publisher=Blizzard Entertainment|date=August 31, 2010|access-date=July 27, 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/foofighters/status/28694474048|title=The view from my throne: my first full set with Tenacious D at BlizzCon Saturday night. Hells yes|work=Twitter|date=October 25, 2010}}

Also in 2010, Grohl helped write and performed on drums for "Watch This" with guitarist Slash and Duff McKagan on Slash's self-titled album that also included many other famous artists.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/slash-jams-with-dave-grohl-duff-mckagan-for-solo-album-255046/ | title=Slash Jams With Dave Grohl, Duff McKagan for Solo Album| magazine=Rolling Stone | date=September 23, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203062100/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/slash-jams-with-dave-grohl-duff-mckagan-for-solo-album-20090923 |archive-date=February 3, 2013 |url-status=live}}

In October 2011, Grohl temporarily joined Cage the Elephant as a replacement on tour after drummer Jared Champion's appendix burst.{{cite news |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/foo-fighters-336-1268976 |title=Dave Grohl drums for Cage The Elephant after sticksman Jared Champion falls ill – video |last=Goodwyn|first=Tom | work=NME |date=October 13, 2011}}

Grohl directed a documentary entitled Sound City (2013) which is about the Van Nuys studio of the same name where Nevermind was recorded that shut down its music operations in 2011.{{cite news | url=https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/Dave-Grohl-discusses-Sound-City-documentary-11825405.php | title=Dave Grohl discusses 'Sound City' documentary | first=Bob | last=Strauss | work=The Middletown Press | date=January 31, 2013}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.fastcompany.com/2682339/dave-grohl-explains-how-a-70s-era-recording-console-rocks-his-world-in-sound-city | title=Dave Grohl Explains How a '70s-Era Recording Console Rocks His World In "Sound City" | first=STEVE | last=RAMOS | work=Fast Company | date=February 19, 2013}}

In 2012, following the departure of Joey Castillo from Queens of the Stone Age, Grohl performed on some tracks as drummer on their 2013 album ...Like Clockwork.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nnm09 |title=Zane Lowe. With Foals | work=BBC Radio 1 |last=Lowe |first=Zane | author-link=Zane Lowe |date=November 6, 2012}}

At 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief, Paul McCartney joined Grohl and the surviving members of Nirvana (Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist Pat Smear) to perform "Cut Me Some Slack", a song later recorded for the Sound City soundtrack.{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sound-city-real-to-reel-mw0002480578 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen |title=Sound City: Real to Reel – Original Soundtrack |work=AllMusic |publisher=Rovi Corporation}} In what was regarded as a Nirvana reunion with McCartney as a stand-in for Kurt Cobain, this was the first time in eighteen years that the three had played alongside each other.{{cite magazine |title=Paul McCartney to Front Nirvana Reunion at 12-12-12 Concert |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/update-paul-mccartney-to-front-nirvana-reunion-at-12-12-12-concert-73970/ |magazine=Rolling Stone | date=December 12, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202010547/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-to-perform-with-dave-grohl-and-friends-at-12-12-12-20121212 |archive-date=February 2, 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |last=Greene| first=Andy | title=Nirvana-Paul McCartney Song Stems From Dave Grohl's 'Sound City' Documentary |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nirvana-paul-mccartney-song-stems-from-dave-grohls-sound-city-documentary-58618/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=December 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322101208/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nirvana-paul-mccartney-song-stems-from-dave-grohls-sound-city-documentary-20121213 |archive-date=March 22, 2013 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://people.com/celebrity/paul-mccartney-nirvana-perform-at-12-12-12-concert-for-sandy-relief/ |title=Paul McCartney Goes Grunge & 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief's Top Five Moments |work=People| date=December 12, 2012}}{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sir-paul-mccartney-to-stand-in-for-kurt-cobain-at-nirvana-reunion-8411434.html | title=Sir Paul McCartney to stand in for Kurt Cobain at Nirvana reunion |last=Battersby |first=Matilda|work=The Independent |date=December 12, 2012}}

On March 14, 2013, Grohl delivered a keynote speech at the 2013 South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. He described his musical life from youth through to the Foo Fighters and emphasized the importance of each individual's voice: "There is no right or wrong—there is only your voice ...What matters most is that it's your voice. Cherish it. Respect it. Nurture it. Challenge it. Respect it." Grohl said during the speech that Psy's "Gangnam Style" was one of his favorite songs of the past decade. He also said Edgar Winter's instrumental "Frankenstein" was the song that made him want to become a musician.{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/music-festivals/2013/03/14/dave-grohl-sxsw-keynote-speech/ | title=SXSW: Dave Grohl raves about 'Gangnam Style,' slams Pitchfork during festival keynote speech | first=Melissa | last=Maerz | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date=March 14, 2013}}

On November 6, 2013, Grohl played drums at the 2013 Country Music Association Awards, replacing drummer Chris Fryar in the Zac Brown Band. The band debuted their new song "Day for the Dead".{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/11/06/cma-awards-dave-grohl-goes-country-with-zac-brown-band-video/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |last=Atkinson |first=Katie |title=CMA Awards: Dave Grohl goes country with Zac Brown Band – VIDEO |date=November 6, 2013}} Grohl also produced Zac Brown Band's EP The Grohl Sessions, Vol. 1.{{cite web|last=Sciarretto|first=Amy|date=November 29, 2013|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/zac-brown-band-new-album-dave-grohl/|title=Zac Brown Band to Release Dave Grohl-Produced Album in December|website=Taste of Country|access-date=August 6, 2017}}

Grohl worked closely with indie hip-hop band RDGLDGRN on their EP. While Grohl was filming his Sound City documentary, the group asked the fellow native of Northern Virginia to drum on "I Love Lamp". Grohl wound up drumming for the entire record, with the exception of "Million Fans", which features a sampled breakbeat.

Grohl, a fan of theatrical Swedish metal band Ghost, produced their EP If You Have Ghost. He was also featured in a number of songs on the EP. Grohl played rhythm guitar for the song "If You Have Ghosts" (a cover of a Roky Erickson song), and drums on "I'm a Marionette" (an ABBA cover) as well as "Waiting for the Night" (a Depeche Mode cover). According to a member of Ghost, Grohl has appeared live in concert with the band wearing the same identity concealing outfit that the rest of the band usually wears.{{cite web|url=https://www.fuse.tv/videos/2013/08/lollapalooza-2013-ghost-bc-interview|title=Dave Grohl wears hooded robe to play with swede metalheads Ghost B.C.|website=Fuse TV|access-date=December 25, 2018}}

In September, the all-star covers album by the Alice Cooper-led Hollywood Vampires supergroup was released and features Grohl playing drums on the medley "One/Jump Into the Fire".

On August 10, 2018, Grohl released "Play", a solo recording lasting over 22 minutes. A mini documentary accompanied it.{{cite tweet|author=Foo Fighters|title=Are you ready to Play?|user=foofighters|number=1026546600946982912|access-date=August 10, 2018}} That same year, Grohl invited ten-year-old Collier Cash Rule on stage at a Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City, Missouri and gave him his guitar. Rule played several Metallica songs and Grohl sang one verse and the chorus to "Enter Sandman".{{cite news |last=Hastings |first=Deborah |date=October 16, 2018 |title=Dave Grohl gave the 10-year-old his big blue Gibson guitar |url=https://www.insideedition.com/missouri-boy-10-takes-stage-foo-fighters-then-helps-sick-friend-47673 |work=Inside Edition}}

Between August and November 2020, Grohl participated in an online drum battle with ten-year-old drummer Nandi Bushell, who had released cover versions of Nirvana and Foo Fighters songs on her YouTube channel, then challenged the elder drummer to a contest. After going back and forth with Bushell a few times, Grohl jokingly conceded victory to her, and wrote and performed a song in her honor. Grohl invited Bushell to perform with the Foo Fighters on stage during their August 26, 2021, show at the L.A. Forum, where she played drums on "Everlong", the show's finale.{{cite news |last1=Hartmann |first1=Graham |title=Nandi Bushell Finally Gets To Perform With The Foo Fighters |url=https://loudwire.com/nandi-bushell-perform-live-foo-fighters/ |access-date=October 20, 2021 |work=Loudwire | date=August 27, 2021}} The videos of the drum battle received tens of millions of views.{{cite web| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/arts/music/dave-grohl-nandi-bushell-drums.html | title=Dave Grohl, 10-Year-Old Nandi Bushell and One Very Epic Drum Battle | first=Jeremy | last=Gordon | work=The New York Times | date=November 9, 2020 | url-access=limited }}{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/nandi-bushell-drummer-dave-grohl-family-interview-1234898483/ | title=This 10-Year-Old Drummer Stole Dave Grohl's Heart — and Ours, Too | first=Niall | last=Doherty | work=Variety | date=February 4, 2021}}

During Hanukkah of 2020, Grohl collaborated with Greg Kurstin to release previously recorded covers of songs by Jewish artists under the moniker The Hanukkah Sessions, one per night.{{cite magazine |last=Legaspi | first=Althea |title=See Dave Grohl, Greg Kurstin Cover Velvet Underground's 'Rock and Roll' | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohl-greg-kurstin-velvet-underground-rock-and-roll-cover-1105587/ |magazine=Rolling Stone | date=December 17, 2020}} This continued in 2021 and 2022.

On October 5, 2021, Grohl's memoir The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music was published by Dey Street Books. Grohl developed a thrash metal record for a fictional band named Dream Widow (who self-destructed 25 years ago), as developed for a horror-comedy movie titled Studio 666. Grohl worked to create the Dream Widow album and aimed to release it at the same time as the film, on February 25, 2022.{{cite web | url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/dave-grohl-making-whole-death-thrash-album |title=Dave Grohl Is Making a Whole Death-Thrash Album | last=Enis | first=Eli |work=Revolver |date=February 17, 2022}}{{cite news |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2180898/dave-grohl-releases-metal-ep-as-fictional-band-dream-widow/music/ |last=Deville |first=Chris |title=Dave Grohl Releases Metal EP As Fictional Band Dream Widow |magazine=Stereogum |date=March 25, 2022}} On March 25, 2022, the self-titled Dream Widow EP was released to digital streaming services featuring eight tracks ranging from thrash, death and extreme metal. The EP also featured Rami Jaffee, Jim Rota and Oliver Roman.{{Cite web |last=Aarons |first=Ricky |date=March 24, 2022 |title=Dream Widow: The Exorcism of Dave Grohl's Thrash/Death Metal Project |url=https://wallofsoundau.com/2022/03/25/dream-widow-the-exorcism-of-dave-grohls-thrash-death-metal-project/ |access-date=March 24, 2022 |website=Wall Of Sound |language=en-US}}

On June 25, 2022, Grohl duetted with Paul McCartney when he headlined the Glastonbury Festival. It was his first performance since the death of Taylor Hawkins earlier in the year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0018sfr|title=BBC Music – Glastonbury, 2022, Paul McCartney|website=BBC}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/paul-mccartney-dave-grohl-bruce-springsteen-glastonbury-2022-setlist-footage-3255915 |title=Watch Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen join Paul McCartney on stage at Glastonbury 2022 |website=NME |date=June 26, 2022}}

= Television =

File:Dave Grohl - july 2008 2.jpg

Since his first appearance in 1992, Grohl has been a musical guest on Saturday Night Live 15 times{{emdash}}more than any other musician. He has appeared with Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, Mick Jagger, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.{{cite news |last=Dresdale | first=Andrea |title=Dave Grohl will make it a lucky 13 total appearances on "Saturday Night Live" next month |url=https://www.977theriver.com/2017/11/28/dave-grohl-will-make-it-a-lucky-13-total-appearances-on-saturday-night-live-next-month/ |work=KVRV | date=November 28, 2017 | archive-date=October 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024205017/http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2017/11/28/dave-grohl-will-make-it-a-lucky-13-total-appearances-on-satu.html |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Todd |first1=Nate | date=November 4, 2020 |title=Foo Fighters Aboard For This Weekend's 'Saturday Night Live' | url=https://www.jambase.com/article/foo-fighters-saturday-night-live |website=JamBase |access-date=November 13, 2020}}

Grohl has also appeared in several sketches on SNL. On October 13, 2007, he performed in the SNL Digital Short "People Getting Punched Just Before Eating".{{cite web |url=http://www.thelonelyisland.com/videos/people-getting-punched-just-before-eating/ |title=People Getting Punched Just Before Eating|website=The Lonely Island |date=May 23, 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2020 }} On February 6, 2010, he appeared as a middle-aged punk rock drummer reuniting the group "Crisis of Conformity" (fronted by Fred Armisen) after 25 years in a skit later on in the episode.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohl-rocks-with-them-crooked-vultures-crisis-of-conformity-on-snl-252095/ |title=Dave Grohl Rocks With Them Crooked Vultures, Crisis of Conformity on 'SNL' |first=Daniel |last=Kreps| magazine=Rolling Stone |date=February 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617170916/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/dave-grohl-rocks-with-them-crooked-vultures-crisis-of-conformity-on-snl-20100208 |archive-date=June 17, 2015 |url-status=live}} On April 9, 2011, he appeared in the SNL Digital Short "Helen Mirren's Magical Bosom" and the sketch "Bongo's Clown Room".{{cite news |last=Gregory |first=Jason |date=April 11, 2011 |title=Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl Pays Tribute To Helen Mirren's Cleavage |url=https://www.gigwise.com/news/62440/ |work=Gigwise |location=London |access-date=February 14, 2020 }}

In mid-2010, Grohl added his name to the list of contributing rock star voice cameos for Cartoon Network's heavy metal parody/tribute show, Metalocalypse. He voiced the controversial Syrian dictator, Abdule Malik in the season 3 finale, Doublebookedklok.

In February 2013, Grohl filled in as host of Chelsea Lately for a week. Guests included Elton John, who disclosed on the E! show that he would appear with Grohl on the next Queens of the Stone Age album.{{cite news | url=https://www.spin.com/2013/02/dave-grohl-chelsea-lately-guest-host-video-britney-spears-beyonce/ | title=Watch Dave Grohl Mock Beyonce and Britney Spears as 'Chelsea Lately' Guest Host | first=Marc | last=Hogan | work=Spin | date=February 5, 2013}} Grohl had previously hosted the show during the first week of December 2012 as part of "Celebrity Guest Host Week".

On May 20, 2015, David Letterman selected Grohl and the Foo Fighters to play "Everlong" as the last musical guest on the final episode of Late Show with David Letterman. On December 1, 2015, Grohl appeared on an episode of The Muppets where he competed in a "drum off" with Animal.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohl-animal-hit-the-skins-in-epic-muppets-drum-battle-36783/ |title=Dave Grohl, Animal Hit the Skins in Epic 'Muppets' Drum Battle |last=Blistein | first=Jon |magazine=Rolling Stone | date=December 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807021739/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/dave-grohl-animal-hit-the-skins-in-epic-muppets-drum-battle-20151201|archive-date=August 7, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Grohl appeared in the 50th anniversary season of Sesame Street in February 2019.{{Cite news|last=Childers|first=Chad|date=September 16, 2018|url=http://loudwire.com/foo-fighters-dave-grohl-appear-50th-anniversary-season-sesame-street/|title=Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl to Appear on 'Sesame Street'|work=Loudwire|access-date=September 17, 2018}} On January 28, it was announced that the first authorized Dave Grohl documentary will be released via The Coda Collection.{{Cite news | url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/new-dave-grohl-documentary-plus-rare-acdc-hendrix-dylan-footage-to-air-on-brand-new-music-tv-channel |title=New Dave Grohl documentary plus rare AC/DC, Hendrix footage to air on new music TV channel | work=Louder Sound |date=January 28, 2021}} On October 8, Grohl was the guest storyteller on CBeebies Bedtime Story, reading a story based on the Beatles song "Octopus's Garden".{{cite web |title=Dave Grohl to read CBeebies Bedtime Story |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/cbeebies-dave-grohl-bedtime-story |website=BBC/ |publisher=BBC Media Centre |access-date=September 5, 2022 |date=October 4, 2021}}

= Filmmaking =

Grohl directed the Foo Fighters music videos for "Monkey Wrench" (1997), "My Hero" (1998), "All My Life" (2002), "White Limo" (2011), and "Rope" (2011), as well as all the music videos from the Sonic Highways and Concrete and Gold era. Outside of Foo Fighters, he also filmed the music video for Soundgarden's "By Crooked Steps" (2014).

In 2013, Grohl produced and directed the documentary Sound City, about the history of the famed Sound City Studios recording studios in Van Nuys.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/preview-tom-petty-trent-reznor-reminisce-in-dave-grohls-sound-city-documentary-241614/ |title=Preview: Tom Petty, Trent Reznor Reminisce in Dave Grohl's Sound City Documentary |first=Jon |last=Blistein | magazine=Rolling Stone |date=July 18, 2012 | archive-date=August 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825002111/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/preview-tom-petty-trent-reznor-reminisce-in-dave-grohls-sound-city-documentary-20120718 |url-status=live}} The film, Grohl's feature-length directorial debut, premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/qa-dave-grohl-on-his-sound-city-doc-and-taking-risks-in-music-242976/ | title=Q&A: Dave Grohl on His Sound City Doc and Taking Risks in Music |first=Katie | last=Van Syckle | magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 25, 2013 |archive-date=February 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205065932/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-dave-grohl-on-his-sound-city-doc-and-taking-risks-in-music-20130125 |url-status=live }}

Accompanying the release of Sonic Highways, Grohl directed an eight-part documentary miniseries of the same name that chronicles the album's development and recording across eight different American cities. It premiered on HBO on October 17, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/foo-fighters-sonic-highways#/|title=Foo Fighters Sonic Highways – The Official Website for the HBO Series|website=HBO}}

In 2021, Grohl directed What Drives Us, a feature-length documentary on van touring. It was released on April 30, 2021, on the Coda Collection via Amazon Prime.{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Matthew |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-the-trailer-for-dave-grohl-new-movie-what-drives-us-featuring-st-vincent-ringo-starr-and-more/ |title=Watch the Trailer for Dave Grohl's New Movie What Drives Us, Featuring St. Vincent, Ringo Starr, and More |work=Pitchfork | date=April 12, 2021}}

=Cal Jam=

Inspired by California Jam,{{cite web|url=https://jeffrigsby.com/bands-cal-jam/|title=CAL JAM 17|website=RIGSBY Design & Creative Direction|access-date=August 4, 2018}} to celebrate the release of Foo Fighters' ninth studio album Concrete and Gold and begin their North American tour, Cal Jam 17, a music festival curated by Grohl and Foo Fighters, was held from October 6{{ndash}}7, 2017 at Glen Helen Amphitheater,{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2017/music/news/caljam-2017-foo-fighters-queens-of-the-stone-age-1202583911/ |title=Concert Review: Foo Fighters Celebrate New Album at CalJam 2017 |first=Alex |last=Stedman |work=Variety |date=October 8, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.955klos.com/2017/10/08/photos-cal-jam-17/|title=PHOTOS: Cal Jam 17|date=October 8, 2017|website=955klos.com |access-date=August 4, 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2017/10/03/foo-fighters-resurrection-of-cal-jam-features-20-bands/ |title=Foo Fighters' resurrection of Cal Jam features 20 bands | work=Sentinel & Enterprise |date=October 3, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Banas|first=Erica|url=https://wdhafm.com/2017/10/09/icymi-foo-fighters-cal-jam-set-littered-guests/|title=ICYMI: Foo Fighters Cal Jam Set Was Littered With Guests|date=October 9, 2017|website=wdhafm.com|access-date=August 4, 2018}}{{cite news |last=Chesler|first=Josh|url=https://www.ocweekly.com/cal-jam-17-proves-radio-friendly-rock-still-rocks-with-tributes-and-memorials-in-san-bernardino-8485998/ |title=Cal Jam 17 Proves Radio-Friendly Rock Still Rocks With Tributes and Memorials in San Bernardino | work=OC Weekly |date=October 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201349/https://www.ocweekly.com/cal-jam-17-proves-radio-friendly-rock-still-rocks-with-tributes-and-memorials-in-san-bernardino-8485998/ |archive-date=August 4, 2018 | url-status=live}} with 27,800 attendees, 3,100 campers, and nine arrests.{{cite web|last=Molina|first=Alejandra|url=https://www.pe.com/2017/10/08/cal-jam-17-in-devore-nets-9-arrests-among-crowd-of-nearly-28000/|title=Cal Jam 17 in Devore nets 9 arrests among crowd of nearly 28,000|date=October 8, 2017|website=pe.com|access-date=August 4, 2018}} Cal Jam 18, held October 5–6, 2018 in San Bernardino, California, featured the Foo Fighters and a Nirvana reunion.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/foo-fighters-nirvana-reunion-joan-jett-cal-jam-733961/ | title=Watch Foo Fighters Stage Nirvana Reunion With Joan Jett, Deer Tick's John McCauley at Cal Jam | first=Daniel | last=Kreps | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=October 7, 2018}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.spin.com/2018/10/foo-fighters-reunite-nirvana-joan-jett-john-mccauley-cal-jam-2018-watch/ | title=Watch Foo Fighters Reunite Nirvana Live at Cal Jam 2018 | first=Rob | last=Arcand | work=Spin | date=October 7, 2018}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/nirvana-reunited-cal-jam-six-song-performance-2387521 | title=Watch Nirvana reunite with a six-song set at Cal Jam 2018 | first=Tom | last=Skinner | work=NME | date=October 7, 2018}}

Musicianship and equipment

File:Foo Fighters - Rock am Ring 2018-5601.jpg

File:Dave Grohl 2008.jpg

Grohl is a self-taught musician and cannot read musical notation, and instead plays only by ear.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/nme-video/dave-grohl-talks-us-through-his-career---part-one/761332796001|title=Dave Grohl Talks Us Through His Career – Part One|work=NME|access-date=June 17, 2015}} His drum kit, designed by Drum Workshop, features five different sized tom-tom drums ranging from 5x8 inches to 16x18 inches, a 19-inch crash cymbal, two 20-inch crash cymbals, an 18-inch China cymbal, a 24-inch ride cymbal, and a standard kick drum, snare drum, and hi-hat.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Grohl's primary recording guitar is an original cherry red Gibson Trini Lopez Standard that he bought in the early 1990s, while still with Nirvana, because he liked the different style of headstock and the diamond-shaped sound holes on what was otherwise an ES-335.{{cite web |last1=Beckner |first1=Justin |title=What guitars does Dave Grohl use? These are the instruments that power the Foo Fighters |url=https://guitar.com/features/what-guitars-does-dave-grohl-use-foo-fighters/ |website=guitar.com |publisher=Guitar Magazine |access-date=3 January 2025}} Onstage during early Foo Fighters tours, Grohl played two Gibson Les Pauls, then relied primarily on a pair of black Gibson Explorers while touring for The Colour and the Shape, There is Nothing Left to Lose, and One by One.

Since 2017, Grohl's primary stage guitar has been his signature model Pelham Blue Gibson DG-335, which was designed by Gibson based on the Trini Lopez Standard specs, but in different colors, with a stop tailpiece instead of the Trini Lopez's trapeze tailpiece and PAF-style "Burstbucker" pickups. For the Foo Fighters' return in 2023, Grohl also began playing a DG-335 in a white finish, matching the aesthetics of But Here We Are.{{Cite web | title=Dave Grohl plays a white Gibson DG-335 custom signature guitar as Foo Fighters debut new song Nothing At All | url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/dave-grohl-plays-a-white-gibson-dg-335-custom-signature-guitar-as-foo-fighters-debut-new-song-nothing-at-all | first=Rob | last=Laing | work=MusicRadar |date=May 22, 2023}} His primary acoustic guitar is a black Elvis Presley model Gibson Dove.

Advocacy, philanthropy and views

In May 2006, Grohl sent a note of support to the two trapped miners in the Beaconsfield mine collapse in Tasmania, Australia, who had survived the initial rockfall. In the initial days following the collapse, one of the men requested an iPod with the Foo Fighters album In Your Honor.{{cite web | url=https://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/181/9 |last=Daniel |first=Troy |title=Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl Helps Trapped Miners | work=Stereoboard.com |date=May 9, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719195758/http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/181/46/ |archive-date=July 19, 2011 |url-status=live}} In October 2006, one of the miners took up his offer, joining Grohl for a drink after a Foo Fighters acoustic concert at the Sydney Opera House.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rocker-has-a-miner-problem/news-story/4bc6d99a40fb0d0789f5ae660a331b8d |title=Rocker has a miner problem | last=McCabe| first=Kathy | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) | date=October 4, 2006 | archive-date=February 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201065657/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/rocker-has-a-miner-problem/news-story/4bc6d99a40fb0d0789f5ae660a331b8d |url-status=live}} Following the event, Grohl wrote "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners", an instrumental piece,{{cite magazine |last=Cohen |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1051091/foo-fighters-let-it-rip-on-sixth-album |title=Foo Fighters Let It Rip on Sixth Album | magazine=Billboard |date=July 6, 2007}} which was included on Foo Fighters' 2007 release Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and features Kaki King.{{Cite news | url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/the_amazing_story_behind_foo_fighters_song_ballad_of_the_beaconsfield_miners-136280 | title=The Amazing Story Behind Foo Fighters Song 'Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners' | first=Justin | last=Beckner | work=Ultimate Guitar | date=August 7, 2022}}

He has worn a White Knot ribbon, a symbol of support for same-sex marriage, to various events; when questioned about the knot, he responded, "I believe in love and I believe in equality and I believe in marriage equality."{{cite news |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/98982/foo-fighters-dave-grohl-white-knot-for-gay-marriage |title=Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl: White Knot for Gay Marriage |last=Malkin |first=Marc| work=E! |date=February 7, 2009}} Grohl's gay rights activism dates back to the early 1990s, when Nirvana performed at a benefit to raise money to fight Oregon Ballot Measure 9, which forbade governments in Oregon from promoting or facilitating homosexuality.{{cite journal|title=Nirvana sets benefit show in Portland for gay rights |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19920808&id=LUVWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6669,1568864 |journal=The Register-Guard |date=August 8, 1992 }} Grohl participated in two counter-protests against the Westboro Baptist Church for their anti-gay stance: in 2011, by performing "Keep It Clean" on the back of a flatbed truck and in 2015, by Rickrolling them.{{Cite news | url=https://slate.com/culture/2015/08/foo-fighters-rickroll-westboro-baptist-church-dave-grohl-counterprotested-at-the-bands-kansas-city-concert-video.html | title=The Foo Fighters Rickrolled the Westboro Baptist Church and It Was Beautiful | first=Sharan | last=Shetty | work=Slate | date=August 23, 2015}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/watch-foo-fighters-rickroll-westboro-baptist-church-67455/ |last1=Kreps |first1=Daniel |title=Watch Foo Fighters Rickroll Westboro Baptist Church | magazine=Rolling Stone |date=August 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150824072141/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-foo-fighters-rickroll-westboro-baptist-church-20150823 |archive-date=August 24, 2015 |url-status=live}}

Despite growing up with a firearm, Grohl is an advocate for gun control.{{Cite web |url=https://www.powells.com/book/the-storyteller-9780063076099 | title=The Storyteller: Tales of Life & Music | work=Powell's City of Books}} In a 2008 interview, Grohl said he had never used cocaine, heroin, or speed, and that he had stopped smoking cannabis and taking LSD at the age of 20.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8634675/Foo-Fighters-Dave-Grohl-kicks-brawler-out-of-Roundhouse-concert.html |url-access=subscription | title=Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl kicks brawler out of Roundhouse concert | first=James | last=Lachno | work=The Daily Telegraph |date=July 13, 2011 | location=London |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8634675/Foo-Fighters-Dave-Grohl-kicks-brawler-out-of-Roundhouse-concert.html | archive-date=January 10, 2022 | url-status=live}}{{cbignore}} He contributed to a 2009 anti-drug video for the BBC. He has described himself as a coffee addict who drinks an average of six cups of coffee every morning; in 2009, he was admitted to a hospital with chest pains caused by a caffeine overdose.{{cite news | url=https://consequence.net/2018/06/dave-grohl-neil-peart-coffee-addiction/ |title=Dave Grohl on replacing Neil Peart and being addicted to coffee |last=Kaye |first=Ben | work=Consequence |date=June 29, 2018}}

Grohl supported Barack Obama's 2012 presidential campaign and performed "My Hero" at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.{{cite news | url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/foo-fighters-289-1265084 | title=Foo Fighters dedicate 'My Hero' to President Obama at Democratic National Convention | first=Nick | last=Levine | work=NME | date=September 7, 2012}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/foo_fighters_dedicate_my_hero_to_barack_obama.html | title=Foo Fighters Dedicate 'My Hero' To Barack Obama | work=Ultimate Guitar}} Foo Fighters supported Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign and played at the "Celebrating America" concert during Biden's inauguration in 2021.{{Cite news | url=https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-foo-fighters-perform-times-like-these-at-biden-inauguration-event/ | title=Watch Foo Fighters Perform "Times Like These" at Biden Inauguration Event | first=Matthew Ismael | last=Ruiz | work=Pitchfork | date=January 20, 2021}} In 2018, he said that Donald Trump "seems like a massive jerk".{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohl-trump-seems-like-a-massive-jerk-628251/ | title=Dave Grohl: Trump 'Seems Like a Massive Jerk' | first=Daniel | last=Kreps | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=April 28, 2018}} After Trump used the band's song "My Hero" at a rally without their permission, a Foo Fighters spokesperson announced that the band would donate any royalties from the usage to the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign.{{Cite news | url=https://people.com/foo-fighters-donate-my-hero-royalties-to-kamala-harris-campaign-8701472 | title=Foo Fighters Donate 'My Hero' Royalties to Kamala Harris' Campaign After Donald Trump Uses Song at Rally | first1=Ilana | last1=Kaplan | first2=Sarah | last2=Michaud | work=People | publication-date=August 26, 2024}}

Personal life

In 1994, Grohl married Jennifer Leigh Youngblood, a photographer from Grosse Pointe, Michigan. They separated in December 1996 and divorced in 1997; Grohl admitted to infidelity.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/sep/14/popandrock.foofighters | title='I've never gotten off chaos' | first=Keith | last=Cameron | newspaper=The Guardian | date=September 14, 2007}} After divorcing Youngblood, Grohl dated snowboarder Tina Basich for a couple of years. Basich ended the relationship after discovering his infidelity.{{cite news|url=https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/dave-grohl-ex-child-affair-b2611077.html|title=Dave Grohl's ex wrote about his infidelity decades before he fathered child 'outside of marriage'|date=September 11, 2024|work=The Independent|first=Brittany |last=Miller}} From 1999 to 2001, Grohl dated former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur.{{Cite web |last=DeSantis |first=Rachel |date=June 8, 2023 |title=Melissa Auf Der Maur recalls "beautiful love affair" with Dave Grohl - and why they broke up |url=https://people.com/melissa-auf-der-maur-recalls-beautiful-relationship-dave-grohl-why-they-broke-up-7510019 |access-date=September 15, 2024 |website=People}} In 2003, he married Jordyn Blum; they had met at the Sunset Marquis Whiskey Bar in West Hollywood, California. They reside in Los Angeles{{cite web| url=https://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/dave-grohls-house/view/google/| title=Dave Grohl's House in Los Angeles, CA (Google Maps)| date=September 22, 2008}} and have three daughters, born in 2006, 2009, and 2014.{{cite news | url=https://people.com/parents/all-about-dave-grohl-kids/ | title=Dave Grohl's 3 Kids: All About Violet, Harper and Ophelia | first=Taiwo | last=Balogun | work=People | date=April 17, 2024}} In 2024, Grohl announced on Instagram that he had fathered a fourth daughter, this time outside his marriage, and asked his family for forgiveness.{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2024 |title=Dave Grohl says he has become father of baby girl born 'outside my marriage' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/10/dave-grohl-says-he-has-become-father-of-baby-girl-born-outside-my-marriage |access-date=September 10, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/dave-grohl-reportedly-enlisted-divorce-lawyer-before-revealing-infidelity-and-new-baby/DHWTCKDZG5HYHLIVKXVBMXC5II/|title=Dave Grohl reportedly enlisted divorce lawyer before revealing infidelity and new baby|publisher=New Zealand Herald|date=September 11, 2024|access-date=September 12, 2024}} In March 2025, it was reported that Blum was willing to forgive Grohl and they were working on saving their marriage.{{cite news|url=https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/dave-grohl-wife-jordyn-blum-cheating-b2722781.html|title=Dave Grohl's wife Jordyn Blum 'makes decision about their future' after his cheating scandal|work=The Independent|date=March 27, 2025|last=Raiken|first=Amber}}

In a June 2011 interview, Grohl revealed that he was going deaf in his left ear due to decades of performing on stage.{{cite news |last=Lamont |first=Tom |date=June 27, 2011 |title=Dave Grohl: 'I was ready to quit music. It felt to me like music equalled death. I started praying…' |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/27/dave-grohl-foo-fighters-nirvana-cobain |access-date=March 8, 2022}} During his appearance on The Howard Stern Show in February 2022, he stated that he suffers from hearing loss and that this has an impact on both his daily life and life as a musician; his tinnitus has forced him to read lips for about 20 years, a situation that became more difficult when people began wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite AV media | work=The Howard Stern Show | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5tvBO-ZIIs |title=Dave Grohl Details His Hearing Loss | via=YouTube | date=February 15, 2022}} As for producing music, he refuses to use in-ear monitors despite their ability to protect his ears because it "removes [him] from the natural atmosphere sound so [he] cannot hear [his] bandmates". He said that his ears are "still tuned in to certain frequencies, meaning [he's] still able to pick up on minute sonic details—even down to the slightest differences between cymbal crashes".

In 2012, Stereogum estimated Grohl as the third-wealthiest drummer, behind Ringo Starr and Phil Collins, with a fortune of $260 million.{{cite news |last=Breihan |first=Tom |date=August 28, 2012 |title=The 30 Richest Drummers in the World |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1137282/the-30-richest-drummers-in-the-world/news/ |work=Stereogum}} From 1993 to 1997, Grohl owned a house in Shoreline, Washington.{{Cite news | url=https://therockrevival.com/fashion-lifestyle/dave-grohls-former-house-in-seattle-is-for-sale/ | title=Dave Grohl's Former House in Seattle is For Sale | work=The Rock Revival | date=September 21, 2023}} In 2015, Grohl sold his {{convert|3,088|sqft|adj=on}} beachfront house in Oxnard, California, for $2.9 million.{{Cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-dave-grohl-20151116-story.html | title=Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl sells his beachfront place in Oxnard | first=Lauren | last=Beale | work=Los Angeles Times | date=November 16, 2015 | url-access=subscription}}{{Cite web |last=Beale |first=Lauren Beale Lauren Beale is a former |last2=Times |first2=staff writer for the Los Angeles |date=2015-09-22 |title=Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters puts his Oxnard beach pad up for grabs |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-dave-grohl-20150922-story.html |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Haro |first=Alexander |date=2015-10-01 |title=Dave Grohl is Selling His Insane Beach House in Oxnard |url=https://www.theinertia.com/surf/dave-grohl-is-selling-his-insane-beach-house-in-oxnard/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=The Inertia |language=en-US}}

Honors

File:Dave Grohl - Concert for Valor in Washington, D.C. Nov. 11, 2014.jpg in 2014]]

In August 2009, Grohl was given the key to the city of Warren, Ohio, his birthplace, and performed the songs "Everlong", "Times Like These", and "My Hero". A roadway in downtown Warren named "David Grohl Alley" has been dedicated to him with murals by local artists.{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/03/foo-fighters-dave-grohl-street | title=Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl honoured with his own alleyway | first=Dan | last=Martin | work=The Guardian | date=August 3, 2009}}

In 2012, Grohl's hometown of Warren unveiled oversized {{convert|409|kg|abbr=on|order=flip}} drumsticks, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest drumsticks in the world. They were also displayed on July 7, 2012, at a concert at the Warren Amphitheater.{{cite magazine |title=Guinness World Record – Largest drumsticks |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-grohls-massive-drumsticks-break-world-record-233297/ |magazine=Rolling Stone | date=July 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728054850/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dave-grohls-massive-drumsticks-break-world-record-20120709 |archive-date=July 28, 2015 |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |title=Unveiling of the record-breaking drum sticks | url=https://www.rollingstone.co.za/musicrev/item/1114-dave-grohl-honoured-with-900-pound-drumsticks-by-hometown | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=July 3, 2012}} Grohl's first solo Rolling Stone cover story was published on December 4, 2014.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-passion-of-dave-grohl-inside-rolling-stones-new-issue-185023/ |title=The Passion of Dave Grohl: Inside Rolling Stone's New Issue |magazine=Rolling Stone | date=November 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624011746/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-passion-of-dave-grohl-inside-rolling-stones-new-issue-20141119 |archive-date=June 24, 2015 |url-status=live}} In 2016, Grohl was ranked 27th on the list of the best drummers of all time by Rolling Stone.{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-77933/cozy-powell-30367/ | title=100 Greatest Drummers of All Time | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=March 31, 2016}} Grohl received the George and Ira Gershwin Award in 2024.{{Cite news | url=https://dailybruin.com/2024/04/08/dave-grohl-named-2024-ucla-spring-sing-george-and-ira-gershwin-award-winner | title=Dave Grohl named 2024 UCLA Spring Sing George and Ira Gershwin Award winner | first=Graciana | last=Paxton | work=Daily Bruin | date=April 8, 2024}}

Discography

{{Main|Dave Grohl discography}}

Filmography

= Film =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Film

!Role

!Notes

1992

|1991: The Year Punk Broke

|Himself

|Documentary

2000

|Is It Fall Yet?

|Daniel Dotson

|Voice only

2005

|Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind

|Himself

|Documentary

2006

|Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

|Satan

|Performed drums, vocals, guitar

2007

|Runnin' Down a Dream

|Himself

|Documentary

2010

|Lemmy

|Himself

|Rockumentary

2011

|The Muppets

|Animool

|Cameo

2011

|Foo Fighters: Back and Forth

| rowspan="3" |Himself

|Rockumentary

2012

|See a Little Light: A Celebration of the Music and Legacy of Bob Mould

|Performed guitar, drums, vocals

2012

|Bad Brains: A Band in DC

| rowspan="11" |Documentary

2013

|Sound City

|Director

2013

|The Death and Resurrection Show

| rowspan="4" |Himself

2013

|Filmage: The Story of Descendents/All

2014

|Salad Days

2014

|Rye Coalition: The Story of the Hard Luck 5

2015

|Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

|Himself (Archival Footage)

2015

|All Things Must Pass

| rowspan="6" |Himself

2016

|Desert Age: A Rock and Roll Scene History

2016

|The Smart Studios Story

2018

|Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records

2020

|Bill & Ted Face the Music

|Cameo

2021

|I'm in the Band

| rowspan="2" |Documentary

2021

|What Drives Us{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14450630/|title=What Drives Us – IMDb|publisher=IMDb}}

|Director

2022

|Studio 666

|Himself

|Horror film, also story

= Television =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Series

!Role

!Notes

1996

|The X-Files

|Man walking down hallway

|Uncredited cameo; Episode: "Pusher"

1996

|Space Ghost Coast to Coast

| rowspan="5" |Himself

|Episode: "Late Show"

2004

|Viva La Bam

|Episode: "Drive-Way Skate Park"

2005

|Classic Albums

|Episode: "Nirvana: Nevermind"

2006

|The West Wing

|Episode: "Election Day Part II"

2008

|Top Chef: New York

|Episode: "A Foo Fighters Thanksgiving"

2010

|Metalocalypse

|Abdule Malik

|Voice; Episode: "Doublebookedklok"

2013

|Behind the Music: Remastered

|Himself

|Episode: "Motörhead"

2013–16

|Drunk History{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0342970/|title=David Grohl – IMDb|publisher=IMDb}}{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2013/07/07/drunk-history-comedy-central/2478191/|title=On 'Drunk History,' the past gets plastered|last=Mallenbaum|first=Carly|date=July 7, 2013|work=USA Today}}

|Memphis Mafia Member / American Congressman

|2 episodes

2013

|The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange

| rowspan="8" |Himself

|Episode: "Meet Banana Monocle"

2013

|Chelsea Lately

|Guest host

2014

|Sonic Highways

|8 episodes

2014

|Off Camera

|

2015

|The Muppets

|Episode: "Going, Going, Gonzo"

2017

|Jimmy Kimmel Live!

|Guest host

2019

|Sesame Street

| rowspan="2" |Performed vocals and guitar

2021

|CBeebies Bedtime Story

2021

|From Cradle to Stage

|Host

|6 episodes

2022

|Hot Ones

|Himself

|Webisode: "Dave Grohl Makes a New Friend While Eating Spicy Wings"

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{Cite book |last=Hämäläinen |first=Jyrki |title=Killing Joke: Are You Receiving? |publisher=New Haven Publishing |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-912587-40-7 |edition=1st |location=London |language=en |oclc=1190832462}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Grohl |first=David Eric |title=The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music |publisher=William Morrow and Company |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-06-307609-9 |edition=1st |location=New York City |language=en-US |oclc=1268472534}}