Ken Powell, from Wollongong in Australia, has died weeks before he is due to meet Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, who he considered his heroes.
Back in March, as Loudwire reported, Powell, who was already suffering from Stage 4 melanoma for 14 years, was trying to complete his bucket list, which included meeting Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters , which was his favorite band. Powell, 56, almost got his wish when the Foo Fighters toured in Australia. However, the meet-and-greet session with fans was cancelled, as Dave Grohl suffered food poisoning.
Because he wasn’t able to meet Dave, his daughter, Tara, set up a GoFundMe and Facebook page in hopes that the Foo Fighters and other fans will be able to help him make his wish come true.
Luckily, a Qantas airline flight attendant who saw Ken Powell’s page was able to share the cause with the Foo Fighters when they were there on one of her flights. The flight attendant shared Powell’s image of him holding up a sign that said, “Hi Dave” to Dave Grohl, and in turn, Dave took a picture with him holding a sign that said, “Hi Ken.”
Being known as one of the nicest guys in rock ‘n roll and in the music industry in general, Dave Grohl gave Ken Powell an autograph, Foo Fighters souvenirs, and VIP tickets to the Foo Fighters’ show in Los Angeles scheduled to take place in September. The GoFundMe page was set up to help Powell travel to the U.S. to attend the concert.
Ken Powell’s cancer has not taken away his spirits. He was determined to meet his heroes. However, after several treatments and two brain surgeries, the father of two’s prognosis still remained terminal.
The sad news, however, is that Ken Powell passed away weeks before he was due to meet the Foo Fighters and Dave Grohl, as Sydney Morning Herald reported.
According to the report, Powell died on Monday surrounded by friends and family members at the Port Kembla Hospital. His daughter shared a touching story when her father passed away.
“The Foo Fighters were playing when he did pass away. It was actually the song ‘My Hero,’ the acoustic version from the Skin and Bones album. It was pretty emotional.”
The money that was raised from the GoFundMe page to fly Powell to the U.S. will now be donated to the Melanoma Institute Australia.
Despite Ken’s death, his presence can still be felt on Foo Fighters’ concerts, as those who have followed his story printed out signs during concerts that read, “#KenTheFooFighter R.I.P.”
[Images via Ken The Foo Fighter/Facebook]
