ROGER TAYLOR OFFICIALLY RETIRING FROM DURAN DURAN

Duran Duran founding drummer, Roger Taylor, has chosen to retire due to struggling with Tinnitus.

A hearing condition, Tinnitus causes a ringing in the ears from no external sources.  This is a common ailment of musicians, often forcing retirement, as hearing music becomes a real challenge.  A contemporary of Roger's, Huey Lewis (of Huey Lewis and the News), was also forced to retire due to his struggle with Tinnitus.

Roger joined Duran Duran at its inception and rode the wave of the band's immense success in the early-mid 1980s, bringing the beat to one of the most successful acts of the new wave/new romantics sound.  He originally left Duran Duran in 1985, with his final performance being the band's show at Live Aid, in Philadelphia, in the summer of 1985.  Although he did perform drums for both of Duran Duran's side projects, Arcadia and The Power Station, Roger left the limelight for a farm in Gloucestershire, England.

He, along with all of the other original members of Duran Duran, rejoined the band in 2001 and remained with the band, until his retirement this week.

In talking about his retirement, Roger had this to say: "This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.  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. Figuring out the timing of all of this has not been easy, but I’m going out on a real high.  We’ve just returned from a hugely successful UK and European tour, which followed our second headline show at BST Hyde Park, our induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and a return to the studio with Nile Rodgers (of Chic fame).  I couldn’t have asked for a better final chapter, with so many special moments that I’ll treasure forever. I move on with enormous pride, and with nothing but love for Simon, Nick and John."

The remaining members added this about their "brother" Roger, "His drumming helped define the sound of Duran Duran from the very beginning and having him back with us since 2001 has been incredibly important to us all.  We completely support his decision and wish him health and happiness. He will always be part of this family, while we continue exploring new and exciting projects with the band."  

While the band tries to perform on stage in front of a crowd, at least every 6 weeks, without Roger Taylor hitting the pads, the future of Duran Duran live shows is not yet decided.