Roger Taylor is retiring from drumming after a tinnitus diagnosis. Here is what the band said, what has not been announced and what it means for fans.
Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor is leaving the band and retiring from playing drums because of worsening tinnitus, the group announced on Thursday, Nov. 12. Taylor, 66, said in a statement on the band's website and social channels that the condition has been "getting steadily worse" and that he has "reached the point where I must now listen to my body and my doctors." The remaining members, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, said they fully support the decision.
What did Roger Taylor and Duran Duran say?
The band's own announcement says Taylor is stepping down after a recent tinnitus diagnosis, and that protecting his hearing and long-term health "must now come first." Taylor called it "one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," and added that playing drums in the band "has been the joy of my life," according to the statement as published by Stereogum and Paste.
He also said he is going out "on a real high," pointing to a recent UK and European tour, the band's second headline show at BST Hyde Park, their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and a return to the studio with Nile Rodgers. The statement says Taylor spoke from his home in the U.S.
Le Bon, Rhodes and John Taylor responded together: "Roger is our brother. His drumming helped define the sound of Duran Duran from the very beginning." They said he "will always be part of this family, while we continue exploring new and exciting projects with the band."
Is Duran Duran still touring, and who is the new drummer?
As of Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, the band has not announced a replacement drummer, new tour dates or any change to its plans, and none of the reports we read mention one. That is the honest answer for U.S. fans hoping to buy tickets: there is nothing to buy yet, and any claim about a successor right now is a guess. We will update this story if the band says more.
The band's wording is worth reading closely. "Continue exploring new and exciting projects" says the group is carrying on, but it does not say whether that means touring, recording, or both.
What is Roger Taylor's history with the band?
Taylor is a founding member. Sources differ on the exact year he started: the BBC and Paste say 1978, while Stereogum says he became the band's first drummer in 1979. Either way, he played on their early records during the rise of the New Romantic scene and the MTV era. Stereogum notes he left the group for a stretch and rejoined in 2001, when the lineup behind 1982's Rio reunited for a reunion tour. The band's statement says that second chapter included six more albums.
What is confirmed and what is not
- Confirmed by the band: Taylor is stepping down and retiring from drumming because of tinnitus; the other three members back the decision.
- Not announced: a replacement, any new tour or show dates, or whether upcoming projects involve live performance.
- Not known: details of his diagnosis beyond what he said himself. We are not speculating on his health.
Our take
This one lands differently from most lineup news. There is no feud, no lawsuit and no mystery here, just a drummer protecting his hearing, and the statement reads that way. Tinnitus is a well-known hazard for musicians who spend decades next to loud stages, and a decision like this is hard to second-guess from the outside.
The bigger question for fans is practical: how a band built on one rhythm section handles its next show. Until Duran Duran says so, we would treat every rumor about a replacement as just that.
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Picture credit: Photo: Raph_PH (CC BY 2.0)
