Dave Grohl‘s reputation as the “nicest guy in rock” took a big hit in 2024 when he revealed he’d cheated on his wife and had a baby with someone else.
Leading up to that bombshell reveal, Grohl and Foo Fighters were having a normally busy year touring the world in support of their latest album, 2023’s But Here We Are. That all changed in September, when Grohl posted on Instagram that he’d “recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside of my marriage.”
Grohl married his wife, Jordyn Blum, in 2003, and they share three daughters.
“I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her,” Grohl wrote. “I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness.”
Foo Fighters later canceled their one remaining show that was scheduled to take place after the announcement.
Perhaps less surprising but no less dramatic was the public demise of Jane’s Addiction. Similar to the Foos, Jane’s looked to have an active 2024 with the return of their classic lineup — frontman Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery — for their first shows together in 14 years. The reunion also spawned the foursome’s first new single in 34 years, “Imminent Redemption.”
Also like the Foos, Jane’s plans came to a screeching halt in September when a show in Boston ended abruptly due to Farrell throwing a punch at Navarro onstage.
The following Monday, Jane’s announced that they were taking “some time away as a group,” while Navarro, Perkins and Avery issued a statement saying that Farrell displayed a “continuing pattern of behavior” and was dealing with “mental health difficulties.” Farrell also apologized for his “inexcusable behavior.”
Days later, a new Jane’s song, ironically titled “True Love,” was released, though the band remained on hiatus.
Between Grohl cheating and Jane’s fighting, 2024 was a rough year for vets of the ’90s alternative rock scene. The era also lost a seminal figure in Steve Albini, who died in May. Known for working on Nirvana‘s In Utero, Albini also engineered — a term he preferred to “produced” — albums by Pixies, PJ Harvey, Bush and The Breeders.
Still, 2024 wasn’t all bad for ’90s rockers. Pearl Jam returned with a new album, Dark Matter, and staged a successful tour where nobody punched each other onstage.
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