The Truth About Dave Grohl's Ex-Wife
Foo Fighters frontman and consummate nice guy Dave Grohl has been married to his wife Jordyn Blum since 2003 — a lifetime in the world of rock and roll — and the pair have three daughters. But less is widely known about Grohl's first wife, photographer Jennifer Youngblood, and their marriage.
Grohl served as drummer for legendary grunge band Nirvana and then formed the Foo Fighters shortly after the death of Kurt Cobain. In 1997, the band released their second album, "The Colour and the Shape," which contained the instantly iconic single "Everlong." The track was written by Grohl at a time of personal turmoil; not only was he mourning the death of a friend, but this was when his relationship with Youngblood was coming to an end.
In the few times that Grohl has spoken publicly about his ex-wife (and one-time "X-Files" co-star), he tends to keep it brief, acknowledging his own mistakes and never saying a word against her. Unlike Grohl, Youngblood is a private person and not a public figure, so the truth is that information about her is pretty limited.
Dave Grohl and his first wife got married young
According to The Guardian, Dave Grohl has shared that infidelity played a role in his divorce from Jennifer Youngblood in the '90s. While their romantic relationship did not pan out, Grohl harbors no ill will toward his first wife. Rather, it sounds like the timing just wasn't right. "I was 25, my wife was even younger. We weren't ready to get married," he once told Melody Maker (via NME). "I miss her a ton, she's the funniest goddamn weirdo you ever met in your life. Absolutely adorable. It would have been better had we not got married. But you live and you learn."
During a virtual set at Oates Song Fest 7908, Grohl recounted how the song "Everlong" came together, seemingly hinting that Youngblood was the inspiration. "I was breaking up with a girl that I had been with for a while, so I was sort of in the middle of this intense emotional period," he said. "And for whatever reason, the emotion or the feeling I got when I would play this succession of chords sort of touched on whatever emotion that was."
Grohl continued that as the song's melody came together, he began to write the lyrics to match the feeling of the tune. "So because of the emotional place I was in I started writing the lyrics to this song and they come from a real place," he shared.
Jennifer Youngblood contributed to Foo Fighters' debut album
While the hit "Everlong" came about through an emotional breakup, Foo Fighters' first single "This Is A Call" was also linked to a notable time in Dave Grohl's relationship with Jennifer Youngblood. It was during the couple's 1994 honeymoon in Dublin, Ireland that the debut track was written, reported NME. Grohl particularly points to the song's chorus holding heavy personal meaning. "This was me finally saying goodbye to my past," he shared. The death of his Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain had happened earlier in the year and the release of a new album under a new project name with a new bride was a lot to experience in a short span of time.
As a photographer, Youngblood is also behind the cover art for Foo Fighters' first album. Grohl's interest in science fiction led to the band's name — referencing the slang term given to UFOs in World War II — so it is only fitting that the first visual associated with the group would capture the theme. The vintage shooter featured on the album is a nod to sci-fi adventure hero Buck Rogers and his XZ-38 Disintegrator Pistol.
Grohl told NME about reading several books on UFO sightings during this time. Naming his label was easy: "I chose Roswell Records," he explained, paying homage to arguably the most famous UFO incident in New Mexico. For the musician, the image and branding came naturally despite being formed during a tumultuous time.
Dave Grohl's split from Jennifer Youngblood affected band dynamics
Foo Fighters have always been open about their close ties with one another. They even took a leap off stage and onto the big screen with the horror comedy "Studio 666" in 2022, per New York Post. They play themselves in the film, so naturally, their over-the-top silliness and ability to make fun of their personas come into play as they encounter demonic possessions and carnage. The squabbles they experience as a band may be of the fictional variety, but there have been real disagreements throughout their history.
In an Apple Music Essentials interview, the band talked about a rocky period while working on their fourth album, "One by One." Grohl noted the recordings weren't working out and "the enthusiasm wasn't really there." Guitarist Chris Shiflett recalled a huge argument after the first time playing "Times Like These" in a rehearsal. "It was maybe the closest the band actually ever really did come to breaking up but then didn't!" Disagreements, however, weren't always about music alone.
When Dave Grohl and Jennifer Youngblood split up in 1997, it presented a difficult situation for another band member. Guitarist Pat Smear was close friends with Youngblood. The breakup, in addition to touring fatigue and Grohl's overall control of the group, led Pat Smear to leave the Foo Fighters despite a big rise in the band's popularity, per Far Out. Luckily, he kept in touch and ended up rejoining in 2005, proving a solid lasting friendship regardless of past decisions.