Duran Duran's Roger Taylor Hangs Up His Drumsticks After a Worsening Tinnitus Diagnosis: 'The Joy of My Life'

Roger Taylor, the drummer whose steady beat drove Duran Duran's biggest hits, is stepping away from the band because of worsening tinnitus, he said Thursday.

The 66-year-old said his condition has been getting steadily worse, the BBC reported. In a statement, he said he had reached the point where "I must now listen to my body and my doctors," according to The Guardian. The Los Angeles Times reported that he will hang up his drumsticks following the recent diagnosis.

Taylor did not hide how painful the choice was. He called it "one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," The Independent reported.

He also looked back with gratitude. "Playing drums in this band has been the joy of my life," Taylor said, according to Fox News. He said he was leaving on a real high.

The band announced the news on its official Instagram account, citing a worsening of his recently diagnosed tinnitus, Fox reported. His bandmates credited him with defining the sound of Duran Duran from the very beginning, called him their brother and said he will always be part of the family. The band said it fully supports his decision and wished him health and happiness, and it noted that it had just returned from a hugely successful UK and European tour, headlined London's BST Hyde Park for a second time and recorded in the studio with Nile Rodgers.

The Guardian described Taylor as one of the earliest members of the new wave hit-makers. Duran Duran formed in the late 1970s and released its self-titled debut in 1981, Fox reported. The 1982 album "Rio," featuring "Hungry Like the Wolf," made the group a household name.

Taylor stepped away in the mid-1980s and returned in 2001, and the reunited group went on to release more chart-topping albums, including a 2004 record that brought all five original members back together, according to Fox. Along the way, the band earned two Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

For a generation of fans who came of age with MTV, Taylor's drumming was part of the soundtrack of the 1980s: crisp, danceable and precise, the foundation under the band's glossy synthesizers and soaring choruses. His return in 2001 gave longtime fans something rare in rock: a classic lineup back together and still making new music decades later.

Tinnitus, a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears, is a familiar hazard for musicians who spend decades in front of loud amplifiers and stage monitors. Taylor's announcement is a sobering reminder for the millions of fans who love live music: protect your hearing, at concerts, at work and with earbuds. A good pair of earplugs costs little and can save a lot.

It is also an example worth noting. In an industry where stars often push through pain until something breaks, Taylor chose to listen to his doctors and step back while he still could enjoy what he had built. That kind of humility and wisdom is something many people, in every line of work, could learn from.

The band has not named a replacement drummer, and no outlet has reported new tour dates. Carrying on without one of its longest-serving members will be a new chapter, and fans will be watching closely to see how the group fills that chair. Duran Duran said it will keep exploring new projects. Whatever comes next, Taylor's place in the band's story is secure. As he put it, he goes out on a high, and after more than four decades of hits, few musicians have earned a better exit.