Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor forced to retire as health battle threatens hearing

Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor announced he is "retiring from playing the drums" and stepping away from the band due to health concerns.The band released a statement on their official Instagram, noting his retirement comes on the heels of "a worsening of his recently diagnosed tinnitus.""This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make," Taylor said in the statement."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.

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 my doctors."He went on to say that "figuring out the timing of all of this has not been easy, but I’m going out on a real high."Roger Taylor, drummer for Duran Duran, announced he is retiring from playing drums.(Virginia Turbett/Redferns)THE OFFSPRING GUITARIST KEVIN ‘NOODLES’ WASSERMAN STEPS AWAY FROM TOURING OVER ‘SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE’He noted that the band "just returned from a hugely successful UK and European tour," after which they headlined a show at BST Hyde Park for the second time, returned to record in the studio with guitarist Nile Rodgers and were inducted 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 added.

"I move on with enormous pride, and with nothing but love for Simon, Nick and John."Taylor said it was a difficult decision to leave the band but that it was time to listen to his body.(Chris Walter/WireImage)The statement highlighted Taylor's contributions to the band's success, noting he "has been at the heart of Duran Duran’s sound across two remarkable chapters," first in its "era-defining early records" and then again when the original line-up reunited in 2001.After coming back together in 2001, the group released six more chart-topping albums, with Taylor "perf...