Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire as part of the the King’s 2024 Birthday Honours, earning the recognition for his contributions to music and charity.
The announcement of Le Bon’s appointment was made on Saturday, and came as “an incredible and totally unexpected honor,” the Duran Duran frontman said, per the BBC.
“It is fitting that the honor has been awarded not just for my role in music, but also for the work I’ve been fortunate to be involved with outside the band for some of the causes I believe in,” Le Bon continued. “To name but two of them, I hope this moment helps to raise awareness for the Blue Marine Foundation and the importance of their conservation work, and for Centrepoint.”
Le Bon was born Hertfordshire, grew up in West London, and attended university in Birmingham, where Duran Duran was formed in 1978. Two years later, Le Bon joined, and the band began releasing an iconic run of albums, including 1981’s Duran Duran, 1982’s Rio, and more.
As for his philanthropic work, Le Bon became an ambassador to the environmental advocacy organization The Blue Marine Foundation in the 2010s. Prior to that, he has been involved in other altruistic efforts, even going back to participating in the 1984 Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
Meanwhile, Duran Duran is on the road this year, having recently performed at Cruel World 2024. Up next, they have a few bookings in Europe, including stops in Greece, Switzerland, Italy, and more. Grab tickets here.
In other Duran Duran news, the model depicted on the album art of Rio was recently identified after 42 years.