Roger Taylor is calling time on his career behind the kit with Duran Duran. The band announced today (Nov. 12) that its longtime drummer is stepping down and retiring from playing altogether after a worsening of his recently diagnosed tinnitus. The decision follows medical advice, with the 66-year-old Taylor prioritizing his hearing and long-term health. No replacement has been named.
Taylor joined Duran Duran in 1979, helping shape the sound of the Birmingham group’s first three albums during its rapid ascent in the early ’80s. He left in 1986, stepping away from the music business for more than a decade, before rejoining the original lineup in 2001. Since then, he has written and played on six additional albums and toured with Duran Duran around the globe.
“This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Taylor said in a statement. “Playing drums in this band has been the joy of my life, and I’ll never be able to properly thank the fans for the love they’ve shown us over the years. But the truth is that my tinnitus has been getting steadily worse, and I’ve reached the point where I must now listen to my body and my doctors.”
The news arrives after a particularly eventful stretch for the band, including a successful U.K. and European tour, a second headline appearance at BST Hyde Park in London, its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a return to the studio with ’80s collaborator Nile Rodgers. Taylor called the run “a real high,” adding that he moves on “with enormous pride, and with nothing but love for Simon, Nick and John.”
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor described their bandmate as “our brother,” adding that his drumming “helped define the sound of Duran Duran from the very beginning.” They said they fully support his decision and that he will “always be part of this family.”
In a 2022 SPIN interview, Taylor reflected on the unlikely longevity of Duran Duran’s second act, telling us, “I think we all feel very lucky to be still creating, still playing, still touring. It’s a great place to be.”
That conversation also offered a glimpse of the musician’s enduring attachment to the group’s early work. Asked about his favorite Duran Duran record, Taylor singled out Rio and “Save a Prayer,” calling the song “a kind of spiritual ballad in the middle of all of that.” He added: “When I die, I think that’s one of the songs I will think, ‘Well, that was a really good one’”