Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dave Grohl is one of the world’s best drummers and successful band leaders. Grohl has had much success in his musical career and, until recently, his personal life. Besides several hit records, Dave Grohl is famous for founding the rock band Foo Fighters.
While October 2024 would have marked the band’s 30th anniversary since it was founded, Dave Grohl is in the news for all the wrong reasons. In September 2024, Grohl announced he had become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside his 21-year marriage. Since the announcement, not only has it gone viral, but fans have also not been too pleased with the musician. Here’s everything to know about the Foo Fighters founder Dave Grohl, his career, and his personal life.
Dave Grohl’s Parents Divorced When He Was Seven
Dave Grohl’s father, James Harper Grohl, was a renowned news writer who also worked as the special assistant to the late U.S. Senator Robert Taft Jr. from the famous political Taft family. As an award-winning journalist, Grohl’s father was respected for his political understanding. Dave Grohl’s mother, Virginia Hanlon Grohl, was a teacher. Dave Grohl was born in Warren, Ohio, on January 14, 1969. However, the family moved to Springfield, Virginia, where he spent most of his growing years. Grohl’s parents divorced when he was seven. Dave Grohl and his older sister, Lisa, were raised by their mother.
He Taught Himself to Play the Guitar & Drums
Dave Grohl grew an interest in guitars at around age 12. Although he initially took lessons to learn to play the guitar, he soon got tired and considered them too expensive. In the end, Grohl taught himself to play the guitar. He also taught himself to play the drums. Considering formal drum lessons a waste of time and money, Dave Grohl mastered his drumming skills by listening to Rush and punk rock. Grohl also stated that the late John Bonham, the drummer for the Led Zeppelin rock band, was a huge influence. This means that with all of Dave Grohl’s musical instrument skills, he’s unable to read music and only plays by ear.
Dave Grohl Attended Three High Schools
Dave Grohl fell in love with punk music at age 13. He and his sister had visited their cousin in Evanston, Illinois. Grohl was totally hooked watching the Naked Raygun perform at The Cubby Bear. This experience was pivotal in Grohl’s life and the beginning of his musical career. However, it soon began to hurt him as he began using cannabis.
Dave Grohl first attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. His mother decided to remove him from the school because of his low grades and addiction to cannabis. Dave Grohl transferred to Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia. After his second year at Bishop Ireton High School, Grohl transferred again to Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia.
He Began His Career as a Guitarist
Dave Grohl began playing in bands when he was in High School. As a multi-instrumentalist, Grohl had an edge over some of his bandmates. He joined several bands, one of his earliest being Freak Baby. When he joined the band, he played as its guitarist. It wasn’t until its bass player was fired and the band reshuffled that Grohl landed his first position as a band drummer.
When the band rebranded as Mission Impossible and later as Fast, Dave Grohl remained its drummer. After the band eventually broke up, Grohl joined Dain Bramage, a hardcore punk band, in December 1985. He spent less than a year with Dain Bramage before leaving less than two years later in March 1987. After his departure, Dain Bramage broke up.
Dave Grohl Dropped Out of High School to Join Scream
Dave Grohl was in his junior year in High School when he dropped out. He was still with Dain Bramage when he auditioned to be a drummer for the hardcore punk band Scream. First, Grohl lied about his age and was surprised when he was considered for the position. Dave Grohl replaced Kent Stax as Scream’s drummer in 1987. Grohl dropped out of High School to pursue his dream and tour with Scream for the next four years. Scream disbanded in 199 after bassist Skeeter Thompson left the band.
Kurt Cobain’s Death Was a Turning Point in Dave Grohl’s Life & Career
Dave Grohl joined Nirvana rock band in 1990 after being recommended by Melvins’ guitarist Buzz Osborne. Nirvana was a successful band until Kurt Cobain’s suicide death on April 8, 1994. Like other band members, Dave Grohl was greatly affected by Cobain’s death. He left Seattle and went to County Kerry, Ireland, to stay sane. However, after seeing a hitchhiker wearing a shirt with Kurt Cobain, he realized he couldn’t escape his past. This made him return to the United States and decided to record songs he had written. These songs became the Foo Fighters song, a band he founded in October 1994.
Dave Grohl Has Directed Several of Foo Fighters’ Music Videos
Dave Grohl has long proved he’s much more than a musical artist. He began directing Foo Fighters’ musical videos in 1997. He made his directorial debut with the “Monkey Wrench” song music video. The song was the lead single of the band’s second studio album, The Colour and the Shape. Since then, Grohl has directed several other videos for the band. His last directorial credit on IMDb was for the 2021 “Love Dies Young” music video. The song was released as the fifth and final single from Foo Fighters’ tenth studio album, Medicine at Midnight. In addition to directing music videos, Dave Grohl has also directed several documentaries in film and television.
Dave Grohl Romantic Relationships Have Been Plagued With Infidelity
Dave Grohl’s first public relationship was with his first wife, Jennifer Leigh Youngblood. This was before Grohl became an international superstar. Youngblood was a photographer who hailed from Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Dave Grohl and Jennifer Leigh Youngblood married in 1994 but separated by December 1996. The couple finalized their divorce on September 9, 1997. The major cause of their separation and eventual divorce had been because of Grohl’s infidelity. After the divorce, Dave Grohl began dating Tina Basich, a snowboarder.
Grohl and Basich’s relationship lasted a few years before the couple split. Again, the relationship ended because Basich found out about Dave Grohl’s infidelity. Grohl was ready to give love a chance again and found it in Jordyn Blum. Grohl met Blum at a West Hollywood bar. Dave Grohl and Jordyn Blum married on August 2, 2003. Their marriage has produced three daughters, Harper Willow Grohl, Ophelia Saint Grohl, and Violet Grohl.
Dave Grohl announced through his rep on September 10, 2024, that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Jordyn Blum. This time, his infidelity had resulted in the birth of a daughter outside his marriage. This brings his children’s count to four. Although most rock band musicians like Matty Healy are known for their dating history, many fans believed Dave Grohl was an exception.
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