Duran Duran Drummer Roger Taylor Retires Over Worsening Tinnitus

Roger Taylor, the longtime drummer of Duran Duran, is leaving the band after a recent tinnitus diagnosis worsened, the group announced on Thursday. Taylor, 66, will retire from playing drums entirely, on the advice of his doctors.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Taylor 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," he said, "and I'll never be able to properly thank the fans for the love they've shown us over the years." He said he made the decision with the input of his doctors.

A representative for Duran Duran, reached for comment, pointed to the Instagram post and nothing more.

What is tinnitus, and why did it end a career?

Tinnitus is a hearing condition marked by ringing or buzzing in the ears, according to the American Tinnitus Association. It can appear as an acute or chronic condition. It is often a relatively harmless side effect of hearing loss, but in some cases it is debilitating. There is rarely a cure; the condition can only be managed.

People regularly exposed to loud noise are more prone to developing it. Taylor joins a list of musicians who have spoken publicly about the condition, including the singer-songwriter Neil Young and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

For a drummer who has spent nearly five decades behind amplifiers and stadium sound systems, the diagnosis fits a well-documented pattern. What remains unsaid is whether Taylor's condition had been developing for years before the recent diagnosis.

A second exit, four decades apart

Taylor joined Duran Duran shortly after the band formed in the late 1970s. He served as the rhythmic anchor through the group's New Romantic breakthrough in the 1980s, a run that produced hits including "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Girls on Film." The band won two Grammy Awards in 1984 for its music videos.

This is not his first departure. In 1985, Taylor left the band, disoriented by its rapid rise.

"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."

He rejoined in 2001 and played with the band ever since, including recent shows at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens and Madison Square Garden. In 2022, Duran Duran 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 of the recent run.

What does this change for Duran Duran?

The band loses its drummer; the announcement says nothing about a replacement. Taylor's bandmates — Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, who is not related to Roger Taylor — said in the post that the drummer had "helped define the sound of Duran Duran."

"We completely support his decision and wish him health and happiness," they said. "He will always be part of this family."

Whether Duran Duran tours or records again with a new drummer, and whether Taylor performs again in any capacity, are questions the announcement leaves open.