Duran Duran drummer, Roger Taylor has announced that his retirement and departure from the band.
The sticksman who joined Duran Duran in 1979, before initially departing in 1985, returned to the band in 2001.
Confirming his retirement, Roger Taylor said that he will be “stepping down from the band and retiring from playing the drums”. He said that he is finishing up “following a worsening of his recently diagnosed tinnitus,” the band explained of his condition that can lead to severe hearing loss.
“Roger has been at the heart of Duran Duran’s sound across two remarkable chapters,” Duran Duran said in a statement. “He played on the band’s era-defining early records, then returned for the celebrated reunion of the original line-up in 2001, writing and playing on six additional chart-topping albums and performing with them to millions of fans around the world.
“After careful consideration and medical advice, he has decided that protecting his hearing and long-term health must now come first".
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Elsewhere, Roger Taylor called retiring “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,” the 66-year-old shared. “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. 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".
Speaking about this, remaining Duran Duran members, Simon Le Bon, John Taylor and Nick Rhodes paid tribute to their "brother".
“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,” they added.
"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".
Duran Duran, renowned for hits such as 'Rio', Hungry Like The Wolf', and 'Ordinary World', released their last album, 'Danse Macabre' in 2023.
They also just finished off their 2026 UK and European arena tour, where they were joined on state by The Strokes' Nick Valensi on stage in Paris.
