Dave Grohl is one of the most recognizable faces in modern rock. He was once the drummer of grunge legends Nirvana; however, following their dissolution, he formed Foo Fighters.
Grohl is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, once with Nirvana and again with Foo Fighters. Additionally, he has worked with popular bands such as Them Crooked Vultures, Queens of the Stone Age, and Scream. One might assume that due to his impressive body of work, he came from a musical background. However, that isn’t the case.
Dave Grohl’s father, James, was a journalist, while his mother Virginia’s profession was teaching. According to People Magazine, his father wasn’t particularly pleased with his passion for music, however, his mother encouraged it and also joined him on tour. In a 2017 conversation with the Guardian, Virginia revealed that, as a child, her son was enjoyable to be around. Sometimes, little Dave Grohl participated in mischief, but his actions were mostly harmless. She also said that her now grown-up son is a very nice person and a loving father to three daughters. Virginia said, ” (Dave) was always really fun to be around. He did some devilish things, but I never thought of him as bad.”
Dave Grohl’s mother, Virginia Grohl, died in August 2022. On an episode of the Song Exploder podcast, he opened up about his time with her when she was alive and in a hospital. A few months before his mother’s passing, Grohl lost his good friend/Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, to a drug overdose.
In 2021, Paramount+ released a docuseries titled From Cradle to Stage. Directed by Dave Grohl, it was based on his mother’s autobiographical novel, From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars.
Dave Grohl never left his mother’s side until her death
During Grohl’s appearance on the Song Exploder podcast, he told host Hrishikesh Hirway that he never left Virginia’s side till she breathed her last.
He revealed that he randomly wrote music on his guitar to cope with his feelings during that phase of his life. The music lacked direction. However, it did help him feel better about his situation. Grohl stated, “I was with her for all of the time leading up to her passing. Every day during that period, I would write something on the guitar, because I felt that if I didn’t have that release, I would explode. I would spend the day at the hospital and then try to translate it musically — with no clear intention of what I was trying to achieve. I was finding these chords and progressions that mirrored the way that I felt.”
Virginia Grohl reportedly taught at Boardman High School in Boardman Township, Ohio. She married James in 1961 and eventually had Lisa and Dave in 1968 and 1969, respectively. The family initially lived in Ohio, but when Lisa and Dave were kids, they moved to Springfield, Virginia.
Virginia and James divorced when Dave was 6 years old. He eventually married Renie Yoshida Grohl.
