'GOING OUT ON A REAL HIGH'

80s Rocker, 66, Steps Down From Band Due to Health Condition

“Playing drums in this band has been the joy of my life,” he said.

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Duran Duran’s Roger Taylor is stepping down after 46 years behind the drum kit. In a statement released Thursday, the drummer said his retirement follows a recent tinnitus diagnosis. “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,” the 66-year-old wrote. “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 the doctors.” Taylor added that he is “going out on a real high,” after the band’s successful European tour, recent single with Nile Rodgers, and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “I couldn’t have asked for a better final chapter, with so many special moments that I’ll treasure forever,” he said. Taylor drummed on the band’s first three studio albums, “Duran Duran,” “Rio,” and “Seven and the Ragged Tiger.” He permanently rejoined the band in 2001, after a more-than-a-decade-long hiatus.

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