Roger Taylor Is Leaving Duran Duran, but He's Not the Only Music Legend Haunted by Ringing Ears
Duran Duran drummer Roger Andrew Taylor is walking away from the band because worsening tinnitus has forced him to put his hearing first. The 66-year-old said he has 'reached the point where I must now listen to my body and my doctors.'
Taylor said playing drums in the band has been 'the joy of my life', but his tinnitus has been getting steadily worse. His bandmates said the decision followed careful consideration and medical advice that put his hearing and long-term health first.
His exit highlights a risk that runs through the music world, where loud noise exposure is one of the biggest causes of preventable hearing loss, according to Connect Hearing. Taylor is far from the only star affected.
Taylor has drummed for the group since it formed in 1978, apart from a break between 1985 and 2001. He said deciding on the timing was difficult, but he was pleased to be 'going out on a real high'.
Musicians Face Higher Risk
The Mayo Clinic names musicians among those especially at risk of noise-related hearing loss. Ozzy Osbourne said he suffered permanent tinnitus because of all his headbanging.
Phil Collins has also spoken about sudden hearing difficulties, describing an episode in which his left ear seemed to close down, leaving him feeling as though he were underwater. He announced in 2011 that he was ending his touring career.
Brian Johnson of AC/DC pulled out of the band's 2016 tour after doctors warned he faced total hearing loss if he kept touring. He said he could not hear the tone of the guitars and other musicians onstage.
Louis Tomlinson was left partially deaf in his right ear at 20, saying the screaming of fans was responsible. However, contemporary reports noted that he had not received an official tinnitus diagnosis.
Will.i.am said in 2019 that doctors warned his chronic tinnitus would eventually lead to irreversible hearing loss. Moby has also discussed living with tinnitus and the importance of weaing earplugs around loud music.
What Tinnitus Does to Hearing
Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, buzzing, or other noises in one or both ears without an external sound source. It affects about 1 in 7 adults in the UK (more than 7 million people), with up to 30% experiencing symptoms at some point in their lives, and is most common in older adults and men.
Rather than a disease itself, tinnitus is a symptom linked to more than 200 underlying health conditions, and a potential side effect of over 200 medications. Around nine in 10 people with tinnitus have some degree of underlying hearing loss, most often caused by ageing or exposure to loud noise.
Estimates from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders suggest about 10 per cent of US adults, or more than 25 million people, have some form of tinnitus. Roughly five million struggle with chronic tinnitus.
About two million find the condition debilitating. More than 99 per cent of cases are subjective, meaning only the patient can hear the noise. Tinnitus can bring fatigue, stress, sleep difficulties and trouble focusing.
Protecting Hearing Before Damage
Guidance includes wearing over-the-ear hearing protection around loud sounds and turning down headphone volume. Long-term exposure to amplified music without ear protection can cause hearing loss and tinnitus.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sought help when his tinnitus became unbearable and was advised how to protect his hearing. The band's musicians now wear in-ear monitors and custom earplugs during performances.
Medical advice is to see a doctor as soon as possible if tinnitus comes with sudden hearing loss, dizziness, numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg. The same applies if it makes a person anxious or depressed or disrupts sleep.
For many people, tinnitus improves once the underlying condition is treated, and other treatments can lessen or mask the noise. For Taylor, protecting his hearing and long-term health now comes first.