Andy Taylor, Duran Duran guitarist, battling stage four prostate cancer
(Photo by EMI) On Saturday – as they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles – Duran Duran announced that guitarist Andy Taylor is battling stage four prostate cancer. Taylor wasn’t present at the ceremony due to ongoing treatment but he disclosed the news in a letter of which parts were read out by frontman Simon Le Bon at the ceremony.
Taylor, 61 years old, received his diagnosis four years ago. In the letter he says: “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different; so I speak from the perspective of a family man but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have and this exceptional accolade.”
Taylor joined Duran Duran in April 1980 and left in 1986 to pursue a solo career. He then rejoined in 2001 for a string of concerts and their 2004 album “Astronaut” before quitting again in 2006.
Taylor’s condition is incurable, but he stressed in the letter that he was receiving “sophisticated life-extending treatment” that had allowed him to “just rock on”, but that he suffered a “setback” recently which apparently is rather serious. After reading parts of the letter Simon Le Bon said: “It is devastating news to know and find out that a colleague… Not a colleague, a mate, a friend, one of our family is not going to be around for very long. It’s absolutely devastating. We love Andy dearly and you know, I’m not going to stand here and cry. I don’t think that would be very appropriate but that’s what I feel like.”
Below you can see a video of Duran Duran playing “Ordinary World” during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction at the Microsoft Theater in LA on November 5th.
And here’s the band talking about Andy Taylor.
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