ICONIC 80s band Duran Duran are set to reunite with former guitarist Andy Taylor to record their first new album in three decades, according to band member John Taylor.
Lead singer Simon Le Bon, is set to work on tracks with Andy at the guitarist's studio in Ibiza, after the latter shared his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis last year.
Simon revealed the diagnosis last November – onstage at Duran Duran’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles – when he read out a letter from the guitarist and said Andy will not be “around for very long”.
He later clarified that Andy is being treated for stage four metastatic prostate cancer, after being first diagnosed about four years ago.
Now, according to The Mirror, the band has a new album on the way.
Speaking at this week's Unforgettable Evening in LA, which raised £1.6million for the Women's Cancer Research Fund, John said: “Le Bon is flying to Ibiza to work with Andy. I kind of wish I was there. I think it'll be great.
“It'll be really profound for them. They haven't been in the studio together in maybe 10 to 20 years.”
The band – which also features Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor, and will kick off a UK tour in May – will record in LA and London. Their first show will be on April 29 in Manchester.
Last year, the band was busy, being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and performing at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Concert.
In a statement, Le Bon thanked fans for their years of support.
“2022 has been an extraordinary year for Duran Duran – mainly down to the incredible fans we have around the world.
“In July we celebrated our years together at Hyde Park as part of the British Summer Time Festival.
“Next Spring we will be back on home soil once again to continue the party. It's remarkable to me that as a band, we are still hitting new milestones, still able to introduce the sound of DD to new generations of music lovers.
“'We are truly grateful that we get to do what we do on a daily basis, and that we still love our job as much as we did when we started out some four decades ago.”
Duran Duran has sold over 100 million records over the years, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists, producing iconic tracks like Hungry Like The Wolf, Girls On Film, Rio, among many others. – The Vibes, March 19, 2023
