Duran Duran Offers Update on Former Guitarist Andy Taylor’s “Late Stage” Cancer Battle

Looking over the career Andy Taylor produced in music, the guitarist performed with groups like the Power Station and even helped stars like Robert Palmer, Belinda Carlisle, Paul Rodgers, and even Rod Stewart bring their songs to life. Although exploring many aspects of the music industry, including a solo career, Taylor will always be remembered for his contributions to the hit band Duran Duran. Working on albums like Arena, Notorious, and Astronaut, Taylor became a crucial part of the group until needing to step away due to his battle with cancer. And recently, Vocalist Simon Le Bon offered an update on Taylor’s health. 

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Since 2018, Taylor focused on his fight with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. While incurable, the musician never stopped enjoying life. When Duran Duran took the stage at the Sanremo Music Festival on February 13th, Le Bon explained how much Taylor wanted to return to the stage. “I am sure he would love to be here. As you probably know, he’s got prostate cancer. It’s very late stage, fourth-stage metastasised cancer. He’s fighting as hard as he can, and we are with him in that fight.” 

While the members of the band went through some changes over the decades, the singer insisted that magic always happened when they got together. “Nobody else makes music like we do. We’ve all tried to do things on our own, and it just doesn’t seem as exciting as when the four of us get together and work.”

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Duran Duran Focuses On Making Each Other Laugh

Outside of their time on stage, Le Bon just loved the company of his fellow bandmates. Remembering the good times, he said, “We make each other laugh, and I think that’s very important in a long relationship. When we are under stress, we laugh all the way through it, and it keeps everything light and fun.”

Not that long ago, Duran Duran found themselves inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thrilled over the achievement, Taylor hoped to travel to the event and celebrate with his friends, but due to his ongoing treatment, the musician needed to stay home. 

While the band noted Taylor was in the “late stage” of his cancer battle, his legacy and contributions to the group remained timeless.

(Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)