Roger Taylor

Roger Andrew Taylor was born on April 26, 1960, in Castle Bromwich, near Birmingham. He is a a typical Taurus in that he is very stubborn, but quite shy.

Roger's father worked in the automobile industry, like many of the men in Birmingham. "It was either that or escape," dark-haired, dark-eyed Roger says. "You could either escape through football or music. And I wasn't much good at football."

His talent for music became evident at age ten, when he began to bang on pots with knitting needles. Soon after that, he went to see his first concert--featuring the Jackson Five. This might partly have been because of his older brother, who was a big Motown fan.

However, Roger's taste in music soon ran to punk. He joined up with a series of Birmingham bands that have since been described as "eminently forgettable." The only two that are remembered, probably because of their strange names, are Crucified Toad and the Scent Organs. It was when he was playing with the latter group that Roger was approached at a party and asked to audition for Duran Duran.

Roger is the shiest member of the group and hates being interviewed. "I've always been the quiet one," he confesses. "The kids who sat at the back of the class and said nothing. I'm not a natural extrovert and I have to admit that the fans get on top of me at times.

His favorite era is the '50s. He loves movies of that period, and his favorite actors are Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, and Tony Curtis. In fact, he has been described as having a Tony Curtis haircut, and people often say that he is a James Dean lookalike.

He enjoys the music of Peter Gabriel, fellow drummer Phil Collins, and Genesis. Roger says that his idea of a good time is to lie in bed and watch TV.

Roger still lives at home with his parents (because being away from his family makes him sad), but he is looking for a place in London. He tries to bring a bit of home with him wherever he goes by taking records and tapes.

Roger likes dogs and hates cats, and always wears white socks.

Photo captions: p. 29 "Roger is always so dapper. People often compare him to James Dean"; p. 30 "'I've always been the quiet one,'" Roger admits."