Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor Says His Stage 4 Cancer is Now Asymptomatic
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Andy Taylor of Duran Duran has revealed in an interview that he is showing no signs of the cancer that earlier had required end-of-life care. In an interview with The Times of London on Friday (August 25, 2023, Taylor said that he’s now asymptomatic. “I was classified as palliative, end-of-life care,” he told the newspaper. “Now I’m not. I’m asymptomatic.” The guitarist has been receiving radioactive chemicals that attack the cancer cells, calling Christopher Evans, the Welsh scientist who created the treatment “a genius.”
Taylor was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in 2018. He kept it private, only revealing his illness on the eve of Duran Duran’s 2022 induction into the Rock Hall. Andy Taylor had the first cancer treatment only two weeks ago and has five more rounds left.
He will release a solo album, Man’s a Wolf To Man, on September 8.
Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with his bandmates on November 5, 2022 in Los Angeles but was not able to attend the ceremony. The now-62-year-old guitarist had announced in a letter to his bandmates and fans that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer four years earlier, and had suffered a setback. The band performed the hits “Girls on Film,” “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Ordinary World” at their induction. The members of the band that were chosen for induction were Warren Cuccurullo, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor.
From the Nov. 2022 press announcement revealing Taylor’s diagnosis: From “Planet Earth” to “A View To A Kill” Duran Duran has sold tens of millions of albums, the leading light in the MTV-driven Second British invasion of the 1980s. The original five-piece band reformed for a sold-out world tour and album Astronaut in 2004 and tonight would have been the first time that they would have played together in 17 years; however, Taylor was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer 4 years ago and has suffered a setback from the diagnosis that would not allow him to travel to Los Angeles from Ibiza.
Members of Duran Duran on the red carpet at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 induction
The full version of Taylor’s Nov. 2022 letter about his diagnosis:
Dear Simon, John, Roger, Nick, my fellow inductees and countrymen,
I wanted to send a personal note to pass along my sincerest respect to you all for what’s been an amazing career, and to also share what has happened to me.
Firstly, can I say what an absolute honour it was to be nominated let alone be inducted into the RRHOF. There’s nothing that comes close to such recognition. I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved together and of the way you have continued. As a guitar player in a progressive band from the synth days of the early eighties, literally from the day I met Nick, John, Simon and Roger they truly valued the contribution of a rather noisy, versatile Northern brat. We all grew up on the same vinyl records and live gigs, from David Bowie to Roxy Music, The Sex Pistols and of course CHIC. I could go to all those places as a player and developed a hybrid guitar style that fitted this amazing concept OF A BAND…
I loved going into the studio and recording our material; nobody else sounded like us. We were ripe to absorb what was the art of analogue recording, but with some different kit, Nick’s artful obsession with synth technology was something I’d never seen before and I was introduced to layers. Because we were instinctively the right fit, we evolved very quickly, writing RIO as our second album with the confidence our very early success with ‘Girls On Film’ and ‘Planet Earth’ inspired.
You can dream about what happened to us but to experience it, on one’s own terms, as mates, was beyond incredible.
I would like to thank each of my brothers in this great band.
My family: my incredibly sane wife of 40 years – Tracey – my amazing children, Andy, Georgie, Bethy and Izzy, not forgetting my grandson Albie, who’s probably online listening or on Fortnite!!!
The original believers: Paul and Michael Berrow, Dave Ambrose, Terry Slater, Rob Hallett.
The Producers: Colin Thurston, Alex Sadkin, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers – I’ve also really dug the work with Mark Ronson – I particularly admire ‘All You Need Is Now’, that’s a DD melody if ever I heard one.
Thanks also to Merck, Andrew and Wendy.
Now for the bad blood, well the good news is that there is none, just pure love and respect for everything we wrote, recorded and achieved together. What’s the point? There’s no stopping this 44-year thing called “Duran Duran.”
Now to the reason I’m not here:
Just over 4-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. Recently I was doing okay 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. We’ve had a privileged life, we were a bit naughty but really nice, a bit shirty but very well dressed, a bit full of ourselves, because we had a lot to give, but as I’ve said many times, when you feel that collective, instinctive, kindred spirit of creativity mixed with ambition, armed with an über cool bunch of fans, well what could possibly go wrong?
I’m truly sorry and massively disappointed I couldn’t make it. Let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing, even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy!
I’m so very proud of these four brothers; I’m amazed at their durability, and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award. I often doubted the day would come. I’m sure as hell glad I’m around to see the day.
All My Love
AT
Backstage at the induction, Le Bon said, as reported by Variety, “It is devastating news to find out that a colleague… not a colleague — a friend, one of our family — is not gonna be around for very long. It is absolutely devastating. We love Andy dearly. I’m not gonna stand here and cry or anything, that would be inappropriate, but that’s what I feel like.”
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2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationThat’s an awfully gracious and noble letter from Andy. Pretty much perfect. Simon, I feel like crying too.
Guys, and the women who love them — there’s no reason for a man to die from prostate cancer in this day and age, and every time I hear of someone who is, I feel so very sad. But starting around age 50 (or 40 for those of African descent) YOU HAVE TO GET CHECKED YEARLY! Getting prostate cancer is not necessarily a death sentence. The key is it must be caught early enough to be contained with treatment. I know personally because mine was fortunately discovered 15 years ago when I was 53. But for whatever reason, so many men think it won’t happen to them, or they depend on their doctors to do the right thing. It happens to 1 in 6 men, and you must insist on yearly testing. Don’t depend on your doctor to initiate it. Many don’t. My thoughts are with Andy. Stay well, All…
Great story Andy. I am so glad you are better. I just saw Duran Duran on their 2023 tour great performance. Can’t wait for you to rejoin them.