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Duran Duran bassist
John Taylor reveals in his newly-published memoir,
In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran, he grew up as a self-described nerd in Birmingham, England, whose preoccupations included toy models and cars. Eventually, music piqued his interest and he formed Duran Duran with friend Nick Bates (better known today as Nick Rhodes) in 1978.
With Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor and Simon Le Bon joining later, Duran Duran became one of the biggest bands in the world with their singles "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio" and "The Reflex," and popular stylish videos on MTV. Yet offstage, success also brought on a set of personal issues for John, who fell into the drug and groupie-heavy work of rock 'n' roll.
It wasn't until the early '90s that Taylor finally confronted his personal demons and checked into rehab. Gradually he turned his life around, marrying for a second time, raising a family and rejoining Duran Duran in the early 2000s. The band has since released a fine return-to-form record in
All You Need Is Now and toured around the world.
We recently spoke with Taylor, now 52, about his personal problems, a run-in with a then up-and-coming band called the Police and Duran Duran's heyday.