Dave Grohl Dedicates Foo Fighters’ ‘My Hero’ Hit to Late Steve Albini: ‘He Left Us Much Too Soon’

The Foo Fighters frontman worked with the late underground rock icon/engineer on Nirvana’s third and final album, 1993’s ‘In Utero’

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is mourning the loss of underground rock icon Steve Albini.

During the band’s Charlotte, N.C., show on Thursday, May 9, the “Everlong” guitarist, 55, dedicated his group’s hit song “My Hero” to the late underground rock figure, who died earlier that week of a heart attack at age 61.

“Tonight, I’d like to dedicate this song to a friend that we lost the other day, who I’ve known for a long, long time. And he left us much too soon,” Grohl told the crowd, per a fan video posted on YouTube. “He’s touched all of your lives, I’m sure. Talking about Steve Albini. For those of you who know, you know. For those of you who don’t know, just remember that name: Steve Albini. So let’s sing this one for him.”

Most notably, Grohl and the Chicago-based engineer worked together on Nirvana’s third and final album, 1993’s In Utero, while the former was still a drummer for the iconic rock group. Decades later, the two reunited for the debut episode of Grohl’s 2014 HBO mini-docuseries Sonic Highways, during which his group Foo Fighters recorded their song “Something from Nothing” at Albini’s Electric Audio Recordings studio in Chicago.

Steve Albini performing in London in November 2004.MARC BROUSSELY/REDFERNS

The pair then linked up again in 2023, appearing alongside Nirvana member and bassist Krist Novoselic on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, where they recalled the making of In Utero.

“I became a fan of Nirvana through the process of working with them and seeing them in action firsthand,” Albini shared, as he also recalled telling the band, via a candid letter, his “conditions” for working with them and why he wasn’t after profits from their album.

“[My compensation] came specifically out of the money that would otherwise go to the band,” he added. “Like, literally, every dollar I would get paid would mean that was a dollar that Dave didn’t get, or Krist didn’t get, or Kurt [Cobain] didn’t get. That’s just the way accounting worked in those deals, and I think that’s ethically untenable.”

Grohl isn’t the only musician remembering Albini — who’s also known for fronting bands like Big Black and Shellac — in the days following his death. Acts like the Pixies, Cloud Nothings, PJ Harvey, Thurston Moore, Lee Spielman, and Sadie Dupuis, some of whom the late vocalist and guitarist worked with during his active years, have also paid tribute.

Steve Albini of Shellac performs onstage during FYF Fest 2016 at Los Angeles Sports Arena in August 2016.MATT WINKELMEYER/GETTY

On X, Harvey wrote, “Meeting Steve Albini and working with him changed the course of my life. He taught me so much about music, and life. Steve was a great friend – wise, kind and generous. I am so grateful. My thoughts are with him and his family and friends as we suffer his loss.”

Meanwhile, comedian, actor, and drummer Fred Armisen — who previously told the Chicago Tribune how Albini “became of a huge influence” for him — shared a lengthy tribute on Instagram alongside a photo of the two, plus Albini’s wife, Heather Whinna, that reads, “I love Steve so much. We said it more often to each other in recent years. I’m so glad I got to tell him. He was so funny, all the time. He sent me this text a few days ago: ‘I shouldn’t admit this but I don’t get cymbals. Like I can tell the difference between this one and that one but if I’m honest they both sound like cymbals and I don’t care.’ I always loved hearing him say ‘I don’t care.’”

“He was such a good friend to me, endlessly,” Armisen continued, “I admired his work ethic and his warmth. And his opinions on national flags. On everything. I always cherish getting to spend time with him and Heather. This picture is from a few years ago, in Chicago. I’m really going to miss him. It’s a heavy loss.”