Andy Taylor (guitarist)
The fiery guitarist whose razor-sharp riffs defined the sound of Duran Duran's early hits and powered the supergroup The Power Station.
Born 1961 (age 65)·English pop rock guitarist·Birthday: February 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
When Duran Duran needed a new guitarist in 1980, Andy Taylor brought a necessary dose of rock and roll swagger to the Birmingham synth-pop outfit. His wiry frame and choppy, aggressive playing provided the gritty counterpoint to the band's sleek melodies, becoming the driving force behind anthems like 'Planet Earth' and 'Girls on Film.' Never one to sit still, he co-founded The Power Station in 1985 with fellow Duranie John Taylor, Robert Palmer, and Tony Thompson, crafting a harder, funk-inflected rock sound that yielded massive hits like 'Some Like It Hot.' His career has been a series of collaborations, producing and playing for artists from Rod Stewart to Belinda Carlisle, always imprinting his distinctive, rhythmic guitar work. Taylor's legacy is that of a quintessential sideman who repeatedly found himself at the center of musical moments that defined an era.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Andy was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His guitar work was integral to Duran Duran's early 1980s success, including the albums 'Rio' and 'Seven and the Ragged Tiger.'
- Co-founded the supergroup The Power Station, whose self-titled 1985 album went platinum.
- Co-wrote and played guitar on Robert Palmer's hit single 'Addicted to Love.'
Did You Know?
He briefly left Duran Duran in the mid-80s to focus on The Power Station, rejoining years later for a reunion.
He was a member of the band Thunder before joining Duran Duran.
He released several solo albums, including the 1987 rock record 'Thunder.'
“You either have the rock and roll in you or you don't.”
