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Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl has lived the rock star life for decades. He joined Nirvana as the drummer at just 21-years-old and they became one of the most popular bands on the planet until Kurt Cobain’s passing. After that, he went on to found the Foo Fighters as well as Them Crooked Vultures and has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (’14 and ’21).
For his voice to hold up over the years has been remarkable. The last time I saw the Foo Fighters was prior to Super Bowl XLVIII when they played a Bud Light party in NYC before the Super Bowl at Met Life Stadium and Dave Grohl sounded as clean and clear as if he was singing in a recording studio. It was incredible stuff.
How Has Dave Grohl Protected His Vocal Chords Throughout The Years?
At 57-years-old, he has been a key figure in the rock scene for nearly four full decades. Somehow his voice has remained immaculate and that was a topic of conversation during his appearance this week on the Dish Podcast where Dave Grohl revealed his pre-show routine and the advice his doctor gave him.
Honestly, it is hard to imagine a doctor actually giving him this advice but I’ll take his word for it. Dave Grohl told his story about seeing a doctor around 8 years ago and what they discussed.
He said:
“Maybe eight years ago, I had to go get my vocal cords checked out and I’d never done that. And the [doctor] sticks the camera down into my throat. And he looks at my vocal cords and he goes, ‘Wow, they look great.” And I said, ‘You’re kidding.’ He said, “No, they look amazing. Do you do vocal warm-ups?” I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ And he goes, ‘OK, do you do like vocal cooldowns after a show?’ I said, ‘No.’ And he said, ‘Well, what do you do before a gig?’
I said, ‘Honestly? An hour before the show, I’ll open a beer and I’ll start drinking the beer. I might take an Advil because my knees hurt, my ankles hurt — whatever I’m old. Then I’ll have a shot of whiskey. And then once the beer is done, I’ll open another beer. Then we’ll maybe have a group shot of whiskey, which we call ‘band prayer.’ Then someone will say ’15 minutes’ and I open one more beer and have one more shot and then hit the stage.’
And my doctor said, ‘Just don’t change what you’re doing. It’s working.’ And I was like, ‘OK, great.'”
For those that would rather watch a video clip than read, here is Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl telling his story of how a doctor told him to keep drinking beer, whiskey, and taking an Advil before shows to keep his vocal chords intact because “it’s working.”
It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, always read the label on medications, do not mix medications with alcohol, and always follow medical guidance from your doctors in lieu of listening to celebrities on the Internet.
While this story might be true, and it probably is, it is likely not telling the full story of what Dave Grohl’s day-to-day life looks like outside of the hour or two before concerts.