Dave Grohl Facts: Dave Grohl is an American musician, songwriter, and filmmaker, best known as the founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Foo Fighters. Prior to Foo Fighters, Grohl was the drummer for the grunge band Nirvana.
Dave Grohl Facts
1- Dave Grohl was born on January 14, 1969 in Warren, Ohio, United States.
2- He first gained fame as the drummer for the legendary grunge band Nirvana, where he played alongside Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic.
3- After the dissolution of Nirvana following Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994, Grohl formed the Foo Fighters, where he is the lead vocalist and primary songwriter.
4- Grohl taught himself to play the drums and guitar. He is a self-taught musician, learning by listening to records and playing along.
5- Before Nirvana, he was the drummer for Washington D.C. punk band Scream.
6- His mother, Virginia Hanlon Grohl, was a public school teacher and his father, James Harper Grohl, was a journalist.
7- He is ambidextrous. Though he writes left-handed, he plays the guitar right-handed and drums with a left-handed setup.
8- He directed and produced the Foo Fighters’ 2014 HBO series, “Sonic Highways,” which documented the making of their eighth studio album.
9- He is known for his powerful vocal performances and energetic stage presence, often seen headbanging and running around on stage during concerts.
10- Grohl played all the instruments on the first Foo Fighters album himself, before recruiting band members for live performances and future recordings.
11- In 2013, Grohl directed the documentary “Sound City” about the history of the recording studio of the same name where Nirvana recorded “Nevermind.”
12- Dave Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Nirvana.
13- In 2015, he broke his leg during a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden, but famously continued the show sitting on a throne.
14- He has participated in numerous side projects, including Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, Probot, and Tenacious D.
15- Grohl is a multi-instrumentalist and has been seen playing a wide variety of instruments including drums, guitar, bass guitar, piano, and even the Theremin.
16- He has three children with his wife Jordyn Blum: Violet Maye, Harper Willow, and Ophelia Saint.
17- He wrote and performed all the music for his 2021 project, “Play,” a 23-minute song where he played seven different instruments.
18- Grohl is an advocate for musicians’ rights, particularly regarding digital streaming services, and testified before Congress on the issue in 2008.
19- Despite his hard-rocking image, Grohl has been known to publicly express his love for disco music, citing bands like ABBA and the Bee Gees as influences.
20- In 2022, he published his first book, “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music,” offering insights into his life and career in music.
21- Dave Grohl is known for his love of coffee and even released a spoof video called “Fresh Pots” in 2010 showcasing his addiction to the caffeinated drink.
22- In 2016, Grohl served as the ambassador for Record Store Day, a yearly event celebrating independent record stores.
23- He performed on the 50th anniversary special of “The Beatles: The Night That Changed America,” honoring the legacy of the band that was a huge influence on him.
24- Grohl has a signature series of Gibson guitars, the DG-335, modeled after the Trini Lopez standard.
25- He is a vocal fan of the metal band Slayer and even once joined them onstage for a performance.
26- He has a cameo in the 2011 Muppets movie, where he played a character named Animool, a spoof of the Muppet character Animal.
27- Grohl is a well-known fan of the rock band Rush, and he inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
28- He has appeared as a guest host on the late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
29- Grohl also occasionally works as a guest drummer for bands, such as for Cage the Elephant when their drummer Jared Champion fell ill.
30- He once was a guest judge on the cooking show “Top Chef,” where the challenge was to create a meal suitable for serving at a Foo Fighters concert.
31- Grohl does a lot of charity work, performing at numerous benefit concerts and donating items for auctions.
32- He loves barbecuing and has even catered food for his entire crew and audience members at certain events.
33- In 2009, Grohl gave the keynote speech at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival.
34- He is not a trained singer and has stated in interviews that he learned to sing by screaming along to the car stereo on long drives.
35- Grohl was given a key to his hometown, Warren, Ohio, in 2009. The city also named a street “Dave Grohl Alley” in his honor.
36- He has several tattoos, including one of the logo for the band Black Flag, and one of three symbols representing his three daughters.
37- In 2017, Grohl appeared on the educational children’s program “Sesame Street,” where he performed a song with Elmo and Big Bird.
38- He has an ongoing friendly “rivalry” with drummer Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, often joked about in the media.
39- Grohl and Foo Fighters performed at President Barack Obama’s final White House party in 2016.
40- He has a fear of flying, something he’s discussed in various interviews throughout his career.