Who founded the Foo Fighters?

Dave Grohl founded the Foo Fighters.

The project began after Nirvana ended following Kurt Cobain’s death in April 1994. Grohl, who had been Nirvana’s drummer since 1990, recorded a set of his own songs largely by himself at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle. He played nearly every instrument on the original demos, using the anonymous name Foo Fighters to avoid making the project look like a solo release.

Those recordings became the foundation of the Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut album. Grohl then assembled a touring band that included former Nirvana touring guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith. The group made its live debut in February 1995 and soon developed into a full rock band rather than remaining a one-man studio project.

Grohl has remained the band’s lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter, making him the only constant member across its history. Several musicians listed in the question—Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Taylor Hawkins—joined later or became important members, but none founded the band.

The name “Foo Fighters” came from a World War II term used by Allied pilots for unexplained aerial phenomena. Grohl chose it as a temporary-sounding alias, but it became the permanent name of one of rock’s most successful post-grunge bands.