Roger Taylor Retires From Duran Duran as Tinnitus Worsens
Roger Taylor is retiring from Duran Duran. The drummer said a worsening of his recently diagnosed tinnitus, a hearing condition, has forced him to stop
Roger Taylor is retiring from Duran Duran. The drummer said a worsening of his recently diagnosed tinnitus, a hearing condition, has forced him to stop playing.
"This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," Taylor said in a statement released through the band's social media channels. "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 band said he reached the decision after careful consideration and medical advice. Protecting his hearing and long-term health, it said, must now come first. Taylor spoke from his home in the U.S.
Two spells in the band
Taylor joined Duran Duran in 1979. He played on the band's first three studio albums, "Duran Duran," "Rio" and "Seven and the Ragged Tiger," alongside Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor (no relation) and Andy Taylor. He left in 1985.
He returned in 2001, when the classic line-up reunited. Since then he has played on six more studio albums: "Astronaut," "Red Carpet Massacre," "All You Need Is Now," "Paper Gods," "Future Past" and "Danse Macabre."
Leaving on a high
Taylor said the timing had not been easy to settle. The band has just returned from a UK and European tour, which followed its second headline show at BST Hyde Park, its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a return to the studio with Nile Rodgers.
No successor has been announced, and the band has not said how it will proceed.
"I couldn't have asked for a better final chapter, with so many special moments that I'll treasure forever," Taylor said. "I move on with enormous pride, and with nothing but love for Simon, Nick and John."
