Duran Duran’s bassist shares update on bandmate Andy Taylor’s cancer diagnosis
By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Duran Duran’s John Taylor has said bandmate Andy Taylor is “feeling pretty good” and has “hope” about his terminal cancer diagnosis as he undergoes new treatment.
The band’s original guitarist Andy, 62, revealed last year that he had been diagnosed with stage four metastatic prostate cancer in 2018.
On Tuesday, bassist John told presenters Susanna Reid and Martin Lewis on Good Morning Britain that his bandmate was feeling hopeful as he is introduced to new treatment and therapy.
He said: “He’s doing OK actually. Simon (Le Bon) was with him in Ibiza for a week. They did a bunch of recording on songs for this album.
“I talked to him and he had hope. He’s been introduced to this new treatment, this new therapy that he’s going to be undertaking and he’s feeling pretty good.”
The band – which also consists of singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and drummer Roger Taylor – announced the news about Andy’s health while they were being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, saying he had to miss the ceremony due to a setback in his treatment.
John said: “We found out two days before. He was due to fly into Los Angeles for the rehearsals and we hadn’t played together in years and it was quite exciting. We got the word, what can you do.”
The renowned British new wave group are reuniting on a new music project which will be released later this year.
“It’s fantastic what we’ve done,” John said.
“It’s a different kind of project. There is a lot of cover songs, which is unusual for us, and then there some old Duran songs which have been rebooted to meet the idea and Andy sounds phenomenal.”
He added that he “didn’t think” Andy would be joining the group on their UK and Ireland arena tour but “maybe down the road there will be something on stage”.
Duran Duran formed in Birmingham in 1978 and were one of the biggest acts of the 1980s, with hits including Rio, Wild Boys and Bond theme A View To A Kill. The three Taylors are not related.
The group has risen to prominence again recently, releasing their 15th studio album, Future Past, in 2021 and touring in Europe and America.
More dates are scheduled later this year in the UK with special guests Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears and LIA LIA due to feature.
They also performed at a number of high-profile events last year including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace and the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Birmingham, and they headlined the British Summer Time festival in London’s Hyde Park.
