Roger Taylor steps down as Duran Duran drummer over worsening tinnitus

Roger Taylor, the longtime drummer for Duran Duran, has announced that he is stepping down from the band because of worsening tinnitus. He shared the news in a statement, telling fans that the time had come to listen to his body and his doctors.

Taylor described the move as deeply painful. "This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," he said. "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," he continued, "and I've reached the point where I must now listen to my body and my doctors."

Taylor looked back fondly on the band's recent achievements, speaking warmly of Duran Duran's tour of the UK and Europe, their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a return to the studio with Chic bandleader Nile Rodgers. The band previously collaborated with Rodgers on songs such as Notorious.

"Figuring out the timing of all of this has not been easy, but I'm going out on a real high," he said. "I couldn't have asked for a better final chapter, with so many special moments that I'll treasure for ever. I move on with enormous pride."

He added that he had "nothing but love" for his bandmates Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, with whom he spent decades on stage and in the studio.

Taylor was one of the earliest members of Duran Duran, alongside Rhodes and John Taylor, with Le Bon and guitarist Andy Taylor joining later. He played on the band's sensationally popular first three albums, released between 1981 and 1983, which became transatlantic hits and helped usher in an entire style of glossy new wave pop.

After playing Live Aid with the group, Taylor left the band, later explaining: "It sounds like a cliche, but I needed to get to know myself. Because, when you're in a band like that, you're very much recognised for being part of the whole. You can lose yourself."

He briefly rejoined the band in 1994 before returning permanently in 2001. From there he recorded six more albums with Duran Duran, beginning with Astronaut in 2004 and culminating with Danse Macabre in 2023.