Taylor Hawkins surprised a 9-year-old aspiring drummer just 3 days before his death

• The Foo Fighters were set to play at a music festival in Paraguay before it was canceled on Tuesday.
• A 9-year-old fan played songs by the Foo Fighters and Nirvana on the drums outside their hotel.

A young Foo Fighters fan shared a heartwarming moment with Taylor Hawkins just three days before his death.

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to headline the Asunciónico Festival, one of Paraguay's largest rock festivals, on Tuesday before the event was cut short due to severe weather. However, that didn't deter 9-year-old Sofía Emma, who looks up to the band.

"She was inspired to play drums by her uncle, who is a drummer and a big fan of the Foo Fighters," Emma's father, Julio Peralta, told CNN.

—Julius (@Julius_GPC) March 23, 2022

Peralta told CNN that a family friend knew what hotel the band checked into, so they grabbed Emma's drum kit and went to the hotel in hopes of meeting the Foo Fighters. The outlet reported that Emma, who's been playing drums for two years, set up her kit outside among the other waiting fans and performed songs — by the Foo Fighters and Nirvana — as the crowd cheered.

The musical display caught Hawkins' attention, prompting him to go downstairs from the hotel and meet the crowd. CNN reported that he first addressed the crowd to apologize for the canceled show, then he met Emma.

—Julius (@Julius_GPC) March 23, 2022

The outlet reported that fans carried Emma over a barrier to make the once-in-a-lifetime moment happen. On Twitter, Peralta shared a picture of Hawkins and Emma to mark the occasion.

"Since my daughter found out that the Foo Fighters were coming, she started a campaign to meet them," Peralta wrote on Twitter. "Today we take his drums to play in front of the Sheraton and look who came out at his call. Dreams come true."

Representatives for Hawkins and Peralta did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Three days later, the Foo Fighters' official Twitter page revealed that Hawkins died at the age of 50 in Bogota, Colombia. On Saturday Colombian officials said an ambulance was called to his hotel after he experienced chest pains. Officials added that emergency crews attempted to resuscitate Hawkins before he was declared deceased.

Colombian investigators later revealed that Hawkins had 10 different drugs in his system at the time of his death. A urine toxicology report found the presence of substances like antidepressants, marijuana, and opioids. BBC reported that the cause of death has not yet been determined, and it's not clear if drugs were a factor.

Peralta told CNN that Emma was performing at a local restaurant when they learned the news.

A post shared by Emma Sofía (@emmasofiamusic)

In an Instagram post, Emma and her family paid tribute to Hawkins on Saturday.

"There are no words to describe what we feel. We are devastated to hear of the passing of Taylor Hawkins, our thoughts are with his loved ones and fans," the caption reads.

The caption continued: "We will remember him for his charisma and the beautiful gesture he had with Emma. Taylor gave us something to believe in. He was, is and always will be an inspiration."