Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor leaves band due to tinnitus

Roger Taylor is stepping down as Duran Duran’s drummer because his tinnitus has been steadily worsening. He said he must follow his body and doctors’ advice, ending a role he described as the joy of his life.

Taylor leaves after a recent UK and European tour, the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and studio work with Nile Rodgers. An early member, he played on Duran Duran’s first three albums, left after Live Aid, briefly returned in 1994 and rejoined permanently in 2001. He recorded six further albums with the band, from 2004’s *Astronaut* to 2023’s *Danse Macabre*.