Andy Talor is best known as the guitarist for the band Duran Duran. He was one of the original band members. Duran Duran is a synth-pop band that was formed in Birmingham in 1978. With hits like ‘Planet Earth’, ‘Rio’, and ‘Girls on Film’ the band rose to prominence in the early 1980s.
Duran Duran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November. However, it was a bittersweet moment as the band revealed that their former guitarist Andy Taylor is battling Stage 4 prostate cancer. Taylor hasn’t performed with the band since 2006. And had the intention to join his friends at the ceremony but couldn’t due to his condition.
The letter from Taylor read, “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course we are no different, so I speak from the perspective of a family man but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have and this exceptional accolade.”
In a new interview with 5 News, Taylor discussed his diagnosis of the disease. He revealed he learned of his cancer after he noticed ‘what you would think was an arthritic sort of pain’ during his jog. He simply thought of the first symptoms as pail due to his age. He then, later on, noticed other symptoms such as “what felt like tumors” on his neck.
He continued, “I went and had a biopsy done, and I came back for the results – and no-one could be prepared for that mistake. And actually, the consultant was a little late, and he sat down and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry’ – and I thought he was apologising because he was late. And he said, ‘It’s prostate [cancer],’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, well, my dad had that. I understand.’ He said, ‘But it’s stage 4, metastatic… which is a death sentence.’”
Regarding going public with his disease. Taylor revealed, “I did a lot of preparation [for the Duran Duran reunion] with those those fabulous people. You lose all of your testosterone in treatment… I bet most men don’t have a clue. “
“So because I had to miss the ceremony, I wrote a letter to the band, just explaining the situation, and they very graciously read that out before the ceremony. And that’s when it went public.”
That’s when he shared that he was happy with the amount of love and support other people offered. He said Duran Duran’s fanbase was very supportive. Taylor also said that he handled his diagnosis mentally. He “thought about getting the most out of life.” Taylor just thought about, “‘I’m gonna live life.’”
“I’ve made three albums since then. I went on the road with some friends of mine and played some shows, which were fantastic. And when the pandemic was over, we had a huge 61st birthday party, because I missed my 60th. I often say to people, ‘Every minute’s like an hour, every day’s like a week.’ You know, you really want to get the most out of life.”
Watch the full interview down below.
