Ongoing History Daily: The history of Taylor Hawkins’ heart
Before Taylor Hawkins died in a Colombian hotel room a month ago, the first sign of trouble came with crushing chest pains. But even though a doctor quickly appeared, there was nothing that could be done. The autopsy revealed that Taylor’s heart was twice the size of someone his size and age and that might have had something to do with his death.
However, Taylor knew he had an enlarged heart for some time because a doctor told him more than a year ago. The doctor said he had a “runner’s heart,” but that it was okay because he got so much exercise. Drummers burn two or three times more calories than other musicians during a show. Plus Taylor was into mountain biking and surfing.
All this means that he and his doctors knew about his condition for quite some time and didn’t seem all that worried about it.
I’ve written more about this here and here.
Yesterday’s Ongoing History of New Music Daily was about the healing power of music
Taylor’s enlarged heart. Yes, supposedly it was known by Taylor and his doctor that his heart was larger than normal, and this was written off as a possible plus? The plus being that Taylor was encouraged by the finding rather than concerned or alarmed. He was even complemented by his doctor who discovered the fact, and told he was an athlete. And that’s why his heart was bigger than normal. Was this said by his primary physician? During an annual routine physical? Was Taylor referred to a cardiologist who issued an ultrasound, a stress test? Why would Taylor go to a cardiologist? Chest pains or the feeling of an irregular heartbeat? What responsibility does this doctor have now? What did he or she miss, if anything? I’m sure the family will want to know. (Legal ramifications of a half-assed diagnosis.) Was Taylor pacified because he was in a famous band, looked golden and healthy, and mountain biked? He had access to the best medical care. Did the band members all have to get medically checked out to get the clear to go on an extended grueling, physical tour? Across continents and in high altitudes? (They are all in middle age. Some have been smoking for decades.) For insurance coverage purposes for the Foo Fighting financial machine? Was Taylor telling the truth about this? Denial is a hella of a drug. Will we ever know anything? For a drummer who played so loudly, and a band that blew it out through broken legs and 25 years, the sound of silence is deafening.