Trumbull County Resident Spotlight: Dave Grohl

About Dave Grohl 

Dave Grohl was born in Warren, Ohio on January 14, 1969, at 675 Perkinswood Blvd. SE. Although Dave Grohl spent most of his childhood in Virginia, he still has family in the area. 

Dave Grohl went on to gain more accolades than most musicians. He’s a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a member of Nirvana and Foo Fighters,  has won 16 Grammy Awards, and appeared on more than 15 Platinum-selling albums. His bands have filled stadiums and changed the direction of contemporary music. 

He also has one honor that none of his fellow musicians may have - an alley named after him in his hometown.

Creator: ANTHONY HARVEY | Credit: AP

Dave Grohl Alley

David Grohl Alley in downtown Warren was the brainchild of Joseph O’Grady, a Warren police officer who wanted to create the kind of quirky tourist attraction he liked to visit while traveling the country on his motorcycle.

Local artists created paintings, sculptures, and other pieces inspired by Grohl’s music and career to decorate the alley, which officially was named David Grohl Alley on Aug. 1, 2009. Grohl attended the festivities along with his parents. He performed a three-song acoustic set for the crowd and sat in on drums with the rock band Love Turns Hate.

“This was one of my most favorite places in the world,” he told the crowd that day. “I am very, very proud to have this and to be from here because I know I can always come back here and be home.”

Several items have been added to the alley over the years, including what is billed as “The World’s Largest Drumsticks.” It has drawn visitors from around the United States and several countries. In 2015, Grohl’s bandmates from the Foo Fighters visited the alley when the band played a Record Store Day concert at Record Connection in McKinley Heights for an intimate audience of 175 people. Grohl brought his daughters to see the alley that same year.

Visitors can see the art, enjoy the LED light display added in 2020, and grab a drink at Modern Methods Brewing Company, the one Warren business with a David Grohl Alley mailing address.