Duran Duran
Newly inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Duran Duran announced today that they are recording a “special new music project” due out later this year featuring their former guitarist Andy Taylor — who is terminally ill — as well as other unspecified “family and friends.”
The quartet — Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor — confirmed the rumored project in a social media post, announcing it will be released by BMG later in 2023. They wrote:
“The new recordings will feature extended Duran Duran family and friends, old and new, including our former bandmate Andy Taylor, who will join us on guitar for a few tracks.”
Not much else is known about the recordings, or who other than Andy Taylor — none of Duran’s three Taylors are related — will be appearing on the project. Warren Cuccurullo, perhaps?
Andy Taylor originally left Duran Duran after 1983’s Seven and the Ragged Tiger. The original five-man lineup reunited in the early 2000s, producing 2004’s Astronaut, but Andy Taylor again left the band after a tour in support of that album and work on a follow-up. Duran Duran released a statement at the time saying there was an “unworkable gulf” between the guitarist and his bandmates.
When the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last fall, Andy Taylor was unable to join his former bandmates, revealing in a letter to fans posted on Duran Duran’s website.that he was terminally ill with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. He wrote:
“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.”
Before releasing this new project, Duran Duran is headed out on a 27-date North American tour this spring and summer in support of their most recent album Future Past. The tour opens May 27 at the BottleRock Festival in Napa Valley, Calif., and continues through Sept. 19 in Toronto, with stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit and more, including two shows at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Below, check out Duran’s social media post — and tour dates.
— Duran Duran (@duranduran) March 20, 2023
Duran Duran tour dates
May 27: Napa Valley, CA – BottleRock Festival
May 28: San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose
May 31: Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
June 1: Portland, OR – Moda Center
June 3: Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
June 6: Austin, TX – Moody Center
June 7: New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
June 9: Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
June 10: Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
June 13: Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
June 15: Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
June 17: Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
June 18: Sunrise, FL – FL Live Arena
Aug. 24: Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Aug. 26: Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Rena
Aug. 28: Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Aug. 29: Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Aug. 31: St. Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair
Sept. 1: Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion @ Northerly Island
Sept. 3: Canandaigua, NY – CMAC
Sept. 6: Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sept. 7: Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sept. 9: Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Points Arena
Sept. 10: Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blosson Music Center
Sept. 13: Washington, D.C. – Capital One Arena
Sept. 16: Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Sept. 19: Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
* New York City and Los Angeles dates to be announced
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Duran Duran announces 27-date “The Future Past” North American tour
- Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Pat Benatar among 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
- Duran Duran’s John Taylor recovers from coronavirus: ‘We can and will beat this thing’
- Duran Duran disavows use of ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ in controversial Yoplait yogurt ad
- Duran Duran preps blue ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ 7-inch for Record Store Day
