Duran Duran’s original guitarist Andy Taylor has shared his diagnosis with stage four prostate cancer.
The musician had been due to reunite with his former bandmates – Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor – for their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame over the weekend, but was forced to miss the event due to on-going treatment.
During a set at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, that included hits like Girls On Film, Hungry Like The Wolf and Ordinary World, the band revealed Andy was diagnosed four years ago and said he had suffered a setback that would not allow him to travel to the US from his home in Ibiza.
In a letter from Andy they read, the guitarist said: “Just over four years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
“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.
“I have the ‘Rodgers and Edwards’ of doctors and medical treatment that until very recently allowed me to just rock on.
“Although my current condition is not immediately life-threatening there is no cure.”
Rodgers and Edwards refers to Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, the pop producers and founders of Chic, who worked with Duran Duran throughout their career.
He continued: “Recently I was doing OK after some very sophisticated life-extending treatment, that was until a week or so ago when I suffered a setback, and despite the exceptional efforts of my team, I had to be honest in that both physically and mentally, I would be pushing my boundaries.
“However, none of this needs to or should detract from what this band (with or without me) has achieved and sustained for 44 years.”
Andy added that he was “truly sorry and massively disappointed” he could not attend the ceremony, noting he had even bought a new guitar for the occasion, but that he was “very proud of these four brothers” and “overjoyed” they were accepting this award.
“I often doubted the day would come. I’m sure as hell glad I’m around to see the day”, he added.
The ceremony was set to be the first time all members of the five-piece band from Birmingham had played together in 17 years, having last reformed for a world tour and the album Astronaut in 2004.
Duran Duran formed in Birmingham in 1978 and were one of the biggest acts of the 1980s.
Earlier this year, members of the band had performed at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace and featured in the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Birmingham, as well as headlining British Summer Time festival in London’s Hyde Park.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story featured a photograph that had been miscredited by a picture provider. We apologise for this error.