
Dave Grohl, former drummer of Nirvana, created the Foo Fighters in 1995 after the death of Kurt Cobain. He named the band after the World War II term "foo fighter," which was used to refer to mysterious aerial phenomena. The other three founding members of the Foo Fighters were Nate Mendel on bass, William Goldsmith on drums, and Pat Smear on second guitar. The group's first major tour was in the spring of 1995, when they opened for Mike Watt. The band's first single, "This is a Call," was released in June of that year. The Foo Fighters have their origins in Seattle, WA.
The Foo Fighter's self-titled debut album was released on July 4, 1995, and was certified platinum by early 1996. Foo Fighters was followed by The Color and the Shape (1997), There is Nothing Left to Lose (1999), One by One (2002), In Your Honor (2005), Skin and Bones (2006), and their latest album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007). The Foo Fighters have been wildly successful, earning four Grammys: Best Rock Album (2001 & 2004), Best Short Form Music Video (2001) and Best Hard Rock Performance (2003), plus a VMA for Best Group Video (1995).
The Foo Fighters currently consist of Dave Grohl (lead vocals, guitar, drums, piano), Taylor Hawkins (drums, percussion, vocals, piano, guitar), Nate Mendel (bass guitar), and Chris Shiflett (guitar, backing vocals).