Duran Duran‘s drummer, Roger Taylor, recently sat down for an interview with Under The Radar to discuss the band’s recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and the surprising absence of their former guitarist, Andy Taylor. In an engaging and candid conversation, Taylor delved into the emotions surrounding the event and the band’s approach to the situation.
In 2022, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a well-deserved recognition for their contribution to the music world. On the night of the ceremony, however, the guitarist Taylor was unable to attend due to a health condition. Instead, his heartfelt speech was read by the band’s frontman, Simon Le Bon, revealing the shocking news of Andy’s prostate cancer diagnosis to the fans.
Now, during his interview with Under The Radar, the iconic drummer, Roger Taylor, admitted that the band members didn’t expect Andy Taylor to miss the Rock Hall induction. He shared that they found out about the musician’s absence just a day before the rehearsals, which made the experience a bittersweet joy. He explained that despite their sadness, the band had to be there without Andy because the years without him mattered as much as the years they spent together in Duran Duran’s history.
When asked whether it was poignant to accept the reward without the guitarist, Taylor said:
“Yeah, you’ve hit the nail on the head. We were fully expecting Andy to join us. We had the rehearsal room all set up, ready to go. We were very excited about it. We’ve not played with Andy for 17 years. It was a very exciting prospect. We got the call literally the day before the rehearsal. It floored us. A very difficult moment. But, the award and the presentation was also as much about the last 17 years as well as the previous 20. So, we had to put that aside and ensure that the show must go on.“
Luckily, in the midst of this emotional whirlwind, the band announced in March that they were working on a new record with Andy Taylor. Le Bon shared this news during his Unforgettable Evening speech, offering hope and excitement to their fans. Although he didn’t reveal many details, the lead vocalist confirmed that a new project featuring the musician was in the works.
