Roger Andrew Taylor (born 26 April 1960) is the drummer for the electronic pop/rock band Duran Duran. He is not to be confused with the Queen drummer Roger Taylor.
Early life
Roger began drumming around the age of twelve, teaching himself by playing along with his favorite records. His first ambition was to become goalkeeper for English football team Aston Villa. As a child he was taken to every home match by his father Hugh, but at 5'9 never grew tall enough to realise his dream. He has cited drummers Paul Thompson of Roxy Music, Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones and Tony Thompson of Chic as his key musical influences growing up.
Before joining Duran Duran, he played with several school and local club bands. After being inspired by the punk bands playing at Barbarellas club in Birmingham, he formed New Wave/Punk outfit Scent Organs, who became regional finalists in the 'Melody Maker' young band of the year in 1978. After the band split in 1979 he joined Duran Duran.
[edit] Initial tenure in Duran Duran, 1980-1985
He climbed with the band to fame and fortune in the early 1980s, playing on their first four albums: Duran Duran, Rio, Seven and the Ragged Tiger and Arena. Along with bass player John Taylor, he gave the band their trademark powerful driving disco/rock rhythms. His dark brooding looks served as a pleasing contrast to the rest of the band's more glamorous look.
Noted to be fairly quiet and unassuming, Roger typically shied away from interviews and the spotlight, preferring to stay in the background and maintain a degree of privacy.
Arcadia
After Duran Duran had achieved three multi-million worldwide selling studio albums and a huge world tour in 1984 (which peaked with 3 nights at New York's Madison Square Garden), Taylor worked with Duran Duran bandmates Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes on the album So Red The Rose for their side project Arcadia which featured among others, Sting, David Gilmour, Herbie Hancock and Grace Jones. The band never toured, and he did not participate in its promotion.
Taylor picked up two Grammy awards during this period.
Nine year hiatus from music
His final performance with Duran Duran was a one-off show with the band at Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia which reached a global audience of 2 billion people. At the end of 1985, after the band had achieved a transatlantic no. 1 record with the James Bond theme A View to a Kill," Roger left the band and retired to the English countryside with his wife. He then fathered two sons and one daughter: James Roger, Ellea and Elliott Dante. Taylor was said to be exhausted by the rigors of being in the limelight. He took a long sabbatical to recover and maintain a sense of privacy.
Second tenure in Duran Duran, 1994 and 2001-2008
In 1994, while visiting a friend in Paris, he temporarily joined Duran Duran to play drums on two tracks for the covers album Thank You, later appearing in the video for Perfect Day and on the band's Top Of The Pops performance of the song.
In 1997, Taylor began flirting with the music industry again. He briefly formed the electro/dance band Freebass, which produced a single, "Love is Like Oxygen,"(a cover of The Sweet) on underground dance label Cleveland City Records and was placed in the top ten of the music week UK dance chart. Taylor also released electro house vinyl with Freebass member Jake Roberts under the name 'Funkface' - 'Lost This Feeling' and 'Shine' on Taylors own label Rt Music.
In 2001, Taylor rejoined Duran Duran, as all five of the original members reunited to record new material and perform as a quintet again. This culminated in 5 sold out nights at Wembley Arena, playing Madison Square Garden again and signing with Epic Records in New York. The band delivered a worldwide hit single '(Reach Up For The) Sunrise' and multi million selling album Astronaut which heavily featured the electro-funk rhythms of the newly reunited Roger and John Taylor.
The 'Astronaut' tour lasted for more than 2 years with sold out shows all around the globe. The band also picked up several prestigious 'achievement' awards from Q magazine, MTV and a Brit award.
- In 2002, Taylor appeared on the "Twelve Drummers Drumming" Christmas card in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" set sold at Woolworths to raise money for the NSPCC – alongside the "other" Roger Taylor, the drummer for Queen.
- In 2003, he began a long running deejay residency at Londons Met Bar playing a mix of house and hip hop.
- In 2004, Taylor and Giovanna Cantone announced their separation after nineteen years of marriage. In the same year he was named Britain's fifth most eligible bachelor in UK high society magazine Tatler alongside Prince William and Hugh Grant.
- In 2005, he started work on the second Duran Duran album for Epic Records. He was named (along with John Taylor) as one of the greatest musicians of all time in the Ubersonik.com top 100.
- In 2006, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake started work with Duran Duran on several tracks for a new album set for release in 2007.
- In 2007, the band preview the entire album 'Red Carpet Massacre' at The Barrymore Theater on New Yorks Broadway over 10 groundbreaking and critically acclaimed nights.
- On 12 May 2007, he married Peruvian girlfriend Gisella Bernales, in a Caribbean ceremony.
- On 1 July 2007, he performed with Duran Duran at the 'Concert for Diana' at the new Wembley Stadium. The band were introduced by Prince William and Prince Harry. They opened the show to a worldwide audience of 1 billion people.
- On 24 August 2008, Roger performed a 4-hour deejay set at legendary 'superclub' Pacha in Ibiza.
- 6 March . Began residency with partner Jake Fonique at Cielo , uber hip down town New York house club that has hosted some of the biggest and most respected dj's in the world.
- Saturday 7 March 2009, Roger will be spinning a DJ set in club Gryphon at the Seminole HardRock Hotel and Casino.
- 18 March . Duran Duran begin recording a new album with 'prodigious' producer/dj Mark Ronson.
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