Roger Taylor, the longtime drummer for the British synth-pop group Duran Duran, will leave the band because of tinnitus, the group announced on Thursday.
Duran Duran said in a post on Instagram that Taylor, who was the rhythmic anchor of the group amid its New Romantic breakthrough in the 1980s, would retire from playing the drums after “a worsening of his recently diagnosed tinnitus.” In the post, Taylor, 66, called his departure “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
“Playing drums in this band has been the joy of my life,” Taylor added, “and I’ll never be able to properly thank the fans for the love they’ve shown us over the years.” He said he had made his decision with the input of his doctors.
Tinnitus is a hearing condition characterized by a ringing or buzzing in the ears. It can present itself as an acute or a chronic health condition, according to the American Tinnitus Association. And while it is often a relatively harmless side effect of hearing loss, in some cases, it can be debilitating. The condition is rarely cured but can be managed.
Those who are regularly exposed to loud noises are more prone to developing tinnitus. Musicians including the singer-songwriter Neil Young and the Coldplay frontman Chris Martin have spoken about their experiences with the condition.
When reached for comment, a representative for Duran Duran pointed to the group’s Instagram post.
Taylor joined Duran Duran not long after it formed in the late 1970s. The band, whose hits include “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Girls on Film,” won two Grammy Awards in 1984 for its music videos.
In 1985, Taylor left the band, disoriented by its rapid rise to prominence.
“I’d been on 1,000 airplanes, but I didn’t know how to get on one as an individual,” he told The New York Times in 2004. “I had to relearn life.”
Taylor rejoined Duran Duran in 2001, and has played with the band since, including recent shows at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens and Madison Square Garden. In 2022, the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better final chapter, with so many special moments that I’ll treasure forever,” Taylor said.
His fellow band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor (who is not related to Roger Taylor) said in the social media post that the drummer had “helped define the sound of Duran Duran.”
“We completely support his decision and wish him health and happiness,” the musicians said. “He will always be part of this family.”
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