Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor is stepping away from the band and retiring from playing drums as his tinnitus worsens.
In a statement, Taylor said the decision was among the hardest he had faced. Playing with the band had brought him enormous joy, he said, and he was grateful to fans for their support. But his tinnitus had continued to worsen, and he had reached a point where he needed to follow medical advice and pay attention to his health.
Taylor said working out when to leave had been difficult, though he felt he was finishing on a high note. The band had recently completed a successful tour of the UK and Europe, headlined BST Hyde Park for a second time, returned to the studio with guitarist Nile Rodgers and been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
He described those experiences as a fitting final chapter and said he would always treasure them. Taylor also expressed his love for bandmates Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor.
The band’s statement credited Taylor with shaping Duran Duran’s sound during its early, influential years and again after the original lineup reunited in 2001. The group went on to release six more chart-topping albums and perform for audiences around the world.
After considering his options and consulting doctors, Taylor decided that protecting his hearing and long-term health needed to come first, the statement said.
Le Bon, Rhodes and John Taylor called him their brother and said his drumming had helped define the band from its beginnings. They said they supported his decision and wished him well, adding that he would always be part of the Duran Duran family as the group pursues new projects.
Fans responded with messages of support. Taylor’s son, Elliot, joked that his father had enjoyed a good run and said he loved capturing some of his performances. Other fans thanked the drummer for the memories his music had provided, while acknowledging that his health had to come first.
Formed in the late 1970s, Duran Duran released its self-titled debut album in 1981. The band became widely known the following year with “Rio,” which included the hit “Hungry Like the Wolf.”
The group split in the mid-1980s, and Taylor and another member pursued solo work. The original lineup reunited in 2001 and released an album together in 2004. In a 2022 interview, Taylor said he felt the original members had left some unfinished business when they separated, and that there had been more to do when they came back together.
Duran Duran has won two Grammy Awards, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
