Duran Duran Band Members Then and Now

Duran Duran, an iconic band of the 1980s, revolutionized the music industry with their distinctive sound and innovative visual style. Formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978, the group quickly rose to fame. Comprised of five talented members, Duran Duran captured the hearts of millions worldwide with their infectious melodies and captivating performances. As a group, the British stars sold over 100 million records through their slew of hits, which included “Hungry Like a Wolf“, “Girls On Film” and “Rio“.

They have also earned major accolades over the years, including two Grammy Awards, a lifetime achievement from the MTV VMAs and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Duran Duran’s feature-length documentary concert film, A Hollywood High, celebrates the band’s four-decade-long career and includes interviews, behind-the-scenes video and unseen archival footage.

Solidifying their place in music history, Duran Duran was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in in 2022. Then in 2023, the band performed a special sold-out benefit concert for their former band member, Andy Taylor, and his fight against prostate cancer. The good news for fans is that the band has a slew of tour dates for 2024.

Band dynamics and controversies

Duran Duran band members now — Duran Duran band members in 2022Victor Spinelli / Contributor/Getty

Throughout their career, Duran Duran experienced their fair share of internal conflicts and controversies. Tensions often arose due to creative differences, personal relationships and the pressures of fame. However, despite disagreements and friction, the band maintained a strong bond and fans were excited to see them reunite.

Duran Duran’s enduring legacy as one of the most influential bands in music history is a testament to the collective talent and creativity of its members. From their humble beginnings in Birmingham to global superstardom, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor have left an indelible mark on the music industry.

Here we look at the Duran Duran band members then and now.

Andy Taylor

Born on February 16, 1961, in England, Andy Taylor played in various local bands before joining Duran Duran as the guitarist. He was with the group during its peak when they were producing chart-topping hits. Taylor then left Duran Duran in 1986, but he was reunited with vocalist Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor (no relation to either) in 2001. The original lineup released new music together, including 2004’s Astronaut album, before Andy Taylor departed again in 2006.

In 2018, Taylor was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. In 2023, he told The Times, “I was classified as palliative, end-of-life care. Now I’m not; I’m asymptomatic.”

Taylor told People that his wife Tracey Wilson was crucial to coping with his cancer. “I’m glad I’ve got a strong marriage,” he said. “The real support you get is from your family. They’re the people who have to live with the diagnosis daily.”

Taylor met Wilson at The Rum Runner Club in Birmingham on her 20th birthday in 1981, and they’ve been together ever since. “I’ve been married for 40,000 years. I’m old school. Maybe I’ve just seen so many of my friends have four divorces that I kind of always thought it was worth working it out.” He adds that there should be an award for women who’ve survived rock and roll and credits his wife for her tolerance during it all.

Taylor and Wilson share four kids, Izzy, Bethy, Andy and Georgie. He lives in Ibiza with his wife. Hisis kids and grandkids visit him often. “We’re a very, very close family.”

He jokes that when he was going through cancer treatment, they would ask what kind of music he wanted to listen to and he said anything but Duran Duran.

Simon Le Bon

Born in Hertfordshire, England in 1958, Simon Le Bon wanted to be an actor when he was growing up. Lucky for us, he turned to music and became the lead singer of Duran Duran.

He is married to the model Yasmin Le Bon (who, he says, is the love of his life) and has three daughters, including model Amber Le Bon. When People magazine asked him if he’s a cool dad, he responded by saying, “It’s very rare that you will hear one’s kids refer to one as being cool. I’m okay. They could have done a lot worse, and they know that. I’m not your average dad, but I’m a good, caring, loving father. And I’ve got very cool kids. I can say that with absolute conviction.”

More than 40 years after releasing its first single, Duran Duran is still going strong. Le Bon told Sky News, “We have not stopped working and making music. That’s how it feels to us, that we’ve just been part of it. You can’t be top of the pile for 40 years, but you know, halfway down, even near the bottom, kind of is acceptable – as long as you’re in it, as long as you’re part of the wallpaper.”

In an interview with The Guardian he was asked what his super power was? He said, “I am a healer with music.”

Still performing, Le Bon says that even though Duran Duran has new music, people are still nostalgic about their earlier hits. He told Sky News, “Every time we go on stage, we play ‘Rio’, we play ‘Hungry Like The Wolf‘, we play those songs because we know that the people in the audience would not be happy if we didn’t. So we’ve got to either love them or hate them, and it’s much nicer if you love them, it makes your life much happier.”

Nick Rhodes — Duran Duran band members

Born in 1962, in Birmingham, England, Nick Rhodes looks back fondly at the beginning years of Duran Duran. When The Guardian asked him what he would change about their 1982 hit album Rio, Rhodes replied, “Not a single thing. It’s part of the pop fabric of that period and we’re all very proud of it. We were kids when we made that record, but we were laser-focused. There wasn’t a day that passed when we didn’t try to move ourselves forward a little bit – and that’s what paid off.”

He notes that the early 80s were a golden period of music and he feels very blessed to have been able to start a band. Rhodes compares Duran Duran with other bands at the time — the Cure, INXS, Depeche Mode — and explains that everybody had their own identity. “You were proud of the fact that you didn’t sound exactly like somebody else,” he says. “We would not have thought of making music any other way.”

In addition to being the keyboardist and synthesizer player of the band, Rhodes has side projects like working on documentaries and dabbling in photography. “Who knew Duran Duran would last this long? It’s still my day job.” He notes that touring — especially post-pandemic — has been fueling him and keeps him feeling young.

John Taylor — Duran Duran band members

Born Nigel John Taylor in 1960, in Birmingham, England, Taylor played bass in the band Duran Duran, which he also co-founded. As schoolboys, he and Nick Rhodes would sit around and daydream about the band they would one day form. The band went through tumultuous times when Taylor left and came back (multiple times).

Taylor is currently married to Gela Nash, co-founder of the successful Juice Couture.

Taylor told Spin magazine that, “When I came home from the last Duran tour, I reckoned I was going to need hip replacement surgery. It’s that time and I’m that old. But tai chi is teaching me to heal the body from within. No knives. I wish I had started earlier.”

He’s focusing on staying positive and being grateful for still be able to tour.

Roger Taylor — Duran Duran band members

Born in 1960, in Birmingham, England, Roger Taylor was the drummer in the band.

“I think it feels like a miracle actually, to be here 40 years later,” said Taylor. “I think when you’re younger, certainly myself, I didn’t look very far into the future. I’d probably look a week ahead, I think, when I was 19.”

He says the secret to the band’s success is that they are a work in progress. “I think it’s easy sometimes to get things, but to keep them can be really difficult. We never thought we were at the end of the journey. We always felt that we had more to give. I think we still feel like that now. Each show is still a work in progress.”

Taylor left the band in 1985 and didn’t return until 2003. “ Everywhere we went we were recognized. So I left at a very intense period and I was just done, to be honest with you.” In addition to performing Taylor has also been DJing. In fact, that’s the job he was doing when he got the call from John about getting the band back together. He thought, “what have I got to lose? I’m going to go back. I’m going to try it again and see what happens. It was just like a snap decision.”

He says there was unfinished business with the band, saying “I think that was a feeling that there was definitely more gas in the tank when we broke up. I think we all felt that, and we came back together and it was pretty amazing.”