Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor, 66, retires from the band and from drumming over worsening tinnitus

Roger Taylor is done behind the kit.

Duran Duran announced today, Nov. 12, that the 66-year-old drummer is stepping down from the band and retiring from playing drums altogether. The reason is his tinnitus, diagnosed recently, which the band says has worsened.

The news went out on the band's website and social accounts, with statements from Taylor and from his three remaining bandmates.

What Taylor said

"This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," Taylor said. "Playing drums in this band has been the joy of my life, and I'll never be able to properly thank the fans for the love they've shown us over the years. But the truth is that my tinnitus has been getting steadily worse, and I've reached the point where I must now listen to my body and my doctors."

He said the timing was hard to work out, but that he is leaving on a high. He pointed to the band's just-finished UK and European tour, its second headline show at BST Hyde Park, its Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and a return to the studio with Nile Rodgers.

"I couldn't have asked for a better final chapter," he said. "I move on with enormous pride, and with nothing but love for Simon, Nick and John."

The band's own statement said that "after careful consideration and medical advice," Taylor decided that protecting his hearing and long-term health "must now come first."

The band's response

Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor issued a joint statement. "Roger is our brother," it read. "His drumming helped define the sound of Duran Duran from the very beginning and having him back with us since 2001 has been incredibly important to us all."

They added: "We completely support his decision and wish him health and happiness. He will always be part of this family, while we continue exploring new and exciting projects with the band."

That last line is the only word so far on the future. The band has not named a replacement.

The career

Taylor was one of the earliest members of Duran Duran, joining in 1979 before the commercial breakthrough. He played on the self-titled debut (1981), Rio (1982) and Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983). Those three albums carried the band's biggest hits, including "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio" and "The Reflex."

He also played on "A View to a Kill," the 1985 James Bond theme that became the band's second U.S. number one single.

He left after Live Aid in 1985. He later said he "needed to get to know myself," because in a band that big "you can lose yourself." He played on a few tracks of the 1995 covers album Thank You, then rejoined for good with the original lineup in 2001.

Since then he has recorded six more albums, starting with Astronaut in 2004 and ending with Danse Macabre in 2023. This year the band also released a one-off single with Rodgers, "Free To Love."

Tinnitus and musicians

Tinnitus is a persistent ringing, buzzing or clicking in the ears with no outside source. The Mayo Clinic says it affects 15% to 30% of people. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) puts it at about one in seven adults in the UK.

The Cleveland Clinic lists hearing loss, noise exposure, head or neck injuries, ear conditions and dental or jaw problems among the causes. The American Academy of Otolaryngology reports that more than 40% of musicians experience it.

Neither Taylor nor the band has said what caused his condition. Regular exposure to loud sounds, the kind that comes with live performance and studio recording, is a recognized cause of tinnitus, but that is general background, not a finding about him.

RNID audiology manager Franki Oliver said the decision "cannot have been an easy one" for a musician who contributed to some of the biggest pop hits of all time. She also stressed that tinnitus is common and that most people find ways to manage it.

What comes next

The tour Taylor referred to ran through October, opening in Oslo on Oct. 2 and closing in Paris on Oct. 28, according to the band's schedule. It followed the July 5 headline show at BST Hyde Park in London.

The remaining three members say they will keep working. Still unanswered: whether they will name a new drummer for live dates, and who plays on the material in progress with Rodgers.