Duran Duran’s longtime guitarist Andy Taylor was absent from the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday after revealing he is suffering from stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
In a letter read by Simon Le Bon during Duran Duran’s induction speech, Taylor explained that he was diagnosed “just over four years ago.”
“I have the Rodgers and Edwards of doctors and medical treatment that until very recently allowed me to just rock on,” he wrote. “Although my current condition is not immediately life threatening there is no cure. Recently I was doing okay after some very sophisticated life extending treatment, that was until a week or so ago when I suffered a setback, and despite the exceptional efforts of my team, I had to be honest in that both physically and mentally, I would be pushing my boundaries.”
“I’m truly sorry and massively disappointed I couldn’t make it,” Taylor added. “Let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing, even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy!”
“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.”
Taylor was a member of Duran Duran for two separate stints, first from 1980 to 1986 and then from 2001 to 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside fellow members Le Bon, Warren Cuccurullo, Nick Rhodes, and John Taylor. Robert Downey Jr. was on hand to introduce the band.