Iconic band Duran Duran is planning an exceptional event during their forthcoming North American tour—a benefit concert specifically dedicated to guitarist Andy Taylor who is currently fighting stage-4 prostate cancer. This initiative aims to support the Cancer Awareness Trust.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted British group is staging this fundraising event on August 19, at the Guild Theatre, situated in Menlo Park, California.
In a heartfelt statement, Simon Le Bon, the lead vocalist of Duran Duran, remarked, “We feel a profound duty to stand with our dear friend, Andy Taylor, in his struggle against prostate cancer. Our journey to Northern California will see us perform numerous hits that Andy had a hand in creating.”
The setlist will feature some of the band’s timeless classics, including “A View to a Kill”, “Planet Earth”, “Rio”, “Girls on Film”, “The Reflex”, “Wild Boys”, “Hungry Like the Wolf”, “Is There Something I Should Know”, and “Save a Prayer”, among others.
News of Taylor’s severe diagnosis emerged just days prior to the band’s Rock Hall induction in November last year. Sadly, his ongoing treatment made it impossible for him to attend the prestigious ceremony, but his bandmates took the opportunity to share a heartfelt letter from Taylor, publicly disclosing his illness for the first time.
The band expressed their support in a statement, “A breakthrough life-prolonging treatment that could potentially aid cancer patients like Andy has come to our attention, and we plan to sponsor this endeavour.”
Roger Taylor, the band’s drummer, voiced his gratitude for their fans and the benefit’s organizers who provided them with a platform to assist their long-standing friend and bandmate, Andy Taylor. He added, “We have always referred to ourselves as a ‘band of brothers,’ and at this juncture, that sentiment rings more true than ever before.”
Andy Taylor, who is now 62, was the leading guitarist for Duran Duran during their golden era in the early to mid-1980s. He played a crucial role in propelling the band to worldwide fame. He contributed to several of Duran Duran’s albums before leaving to kickstart his solo career.
The early 2000s saw him reunite with the rest of the band, following which they released the 2004 album “Astronaut,” toured, and received multiple awards, including the prestigious Brit Award for outstanding contribution to British music.
Earlier this year, Andy Taylor candidly discussed his health battles in a UK TV interview, referring to his diagnosis as a “death sentence”. However, playing guitar has offered him a ray of hope. He mentioned, “Creating music has infused me with an optimism that helps balance out the despair of living with an incurable disease.”
Once the benefit concert wraps up, Duran Duran will continue with the second leg of their North American Future Past Tour, which promotes their 15th studio LP “Future Past.” The album had an impressive run in 2021, peaking at No. 3 on the Official UK Albums Chart.
Moreover, the band has already started work on a new album featuring Andy Taylor. The band issued a statement in March, “We are thrilled to confirm that a special music project featuring our former bandmate Andy Taylor is underway.”
Tickets for the benefit concert will be available for pre-sale on Monday, July 17, for the Duran Duran VIP Fan Community, and general sales will begin on Wednesday, July 19, on GuildTheatre.com.
In the meantime, the founder of The UK’s Cancer Awareness Trust, professor Sir Chris Evans, assured that Andy Taylor will receive the latest precision medical treatment resulting from recent successful clinical trials. He expressed his optimism, saying, “The support from Duran Duran and their wonderful fans could significantly improve and extend Andy’s life and could benefit many more people just like him.
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