An Epochal Open Letter from Dave Grohl to the Foo Fighters, Fans, and the Entire Rock Loving Community
To my bandmates, fans, and the whole rock ‘n’ roll family,
As I sit down to write this letter, I’m filled with genuine, sincere, and overwhelming thankfulness. Looking back on this trip that began decades ago with a guitar, a notebook full of scrawled songs, and a heart still bleeding from loss, I could never have predicted the road that the Foo Fighters and I would take. But I knew—I felt—that music has the ability to heal, lift, and connect. And thanks to you all, we’ve had just that.
To my brothers in the Foo Fighters: You’ve been more than just bandmates. You have been my family. We’ve been through the highs and lows, stadiums and soundchecks, laughing and tears—all together. We constructed something that was never supposed to be flawless, only honest. And honesty has been our strength. Even when the rest of the world could not comprehend the music, you believed in it. You fought beside me in the trenches of creativity, and for that I will be eternally grateful.
To our fans, no words can explain how much you mean to me. From the front row to the nosebleeds, from your first Foo concert to your hundredth spin of Everlong or The Pretender, you’ve got us covered. Your voices, raised in unison during our shows, formed the heartbeat of each performance. You gave our music purpose. You invited us into your lives, including your most personal moments, road trips, celebrations, and heartbreaks. You added significance to every chord, phrase, and shout.
To the entire rock community: Thank you for never letting real music die. In a world that is constantly chasing trends and algorithms, you have stayed firm on authenticity. You’ve supported bands who put their hearts into amps, not just charts. You’ve reminded everyone that guitars still matter. Sweat, soul, and distortion still have their place in this world.
And to any youngster out there in a garage with a dream: never give up. I was you once. Nervous, hesitant, but hungry. Music is not about perfection; it is about emotion. It is about using sound to communicate your reality. Don’t allow anyone convince you that real music has vanished. It is alive. It’s in every note you play and every shout you raise.
As we look ahead, remember that I’m not done. We’re not finished. There’s more to say, feel, and scream into the void with our guitars cranked all the way up. I take everyone of you with me in every lyric I write and stage I perform.
Thank you for giving me the freedom to be myself—for allowing me to tumble, rise, and keep rocking.
With all my love and thunder, Dave Grohl, forever a Foo Fighter.