Legendary band to reform and release first album in 30 years despite member’s terminal cancer battle
A LEGENDARY rock band are set to reform and release their first music in three decades – despite one member being terminally ill.
Birmingham musicians Duran Duran are working on their first tracks for 30 years, with lead singer Simon Le Bon, 64, and guitarist Andy Taylor, 62, taking the lead.
It comes amid Andy’s battle with prostate cancer.
He was due to reunite with his former Duran Duran bandmates – Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, and Nick Rhodes – during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on November 5, 2022.
However, frontman Simon revealed that he had suffered a setback which would not allow him to travel – with his cancer diagnosis later revealed.
Yet it appears he is keeping optimistic about the band, with Simon travelling to Andy’s recording studio in Ibiza to put down some tracks, according to MirrorOnline.
Bassist John Taylor confirmed the new music and said: “We’re working on an album right now that is going to be coming out at the end of the year and he’s playing guitar.
“Had he come to LA and just gone on the TV show, we probably wouldn’t have even thought about it. That [the album] happened as a result of this. There’s a lot of cover songs on the album, songs meaningful to us when we were kids.
“So having him be a part of that project is great.”
He added: “LeBon is flying to Ibiza to work with Andy. I kind of wish I was there. I think it’ll be great.
“It’ll be really profound for them. They haven’t been in the studio together in maybe 10 to 20 years.”
At last year’s LA event, the rockers said they “loved Andy dearly”.
Andy joined Duran Duran as a guitarist in 1980, two years after they formed.
He and Duran Duran bassist John also joined with former Chic members Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer to form the band Power Station in 1985.
Andy left Duran Duran before the recording of their fourth album, Notorius in 1986, but returned for a reunion in 2001.
The group became one of the dominant bands in the industry with songs including Skin Trade, Rio, Come Undone, Wild Boys and James Bond theme A View To A Kill.