John Taylor (bass guitarist)
As the stylish, propulsive bassist for Duran Duran, he provided the sleek heartbeat for 1980s pop culture.
Born 1960 (age 66)·British bassist and member of Duran Duran·Birthday: June 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
John Taylor co-founded Duran Duran in Birmingham, channeling the energy of punk and the glamour of disco into a new kind of pop sophistication. His bass lines—melodic, driving, and impeccably cool—were the foundational pulse of hits like 'Rio', 'Girls on Film', and 'The Reflex'. In an era defined by music video, Taylor's brooding, matinee-idol looks made him a central figure in the band's iconic visuals, helping to propel them to global fame as pioneers of the MTV age. His musical partnership with guitarist Andy Taylor (no relation) created a taut, rhythmic engine that fused funk with new wave. After leaving the band in the late 1990s for a solo career and acting, he eventually returned, recognizing the enduring power of the musical entity he helped build. Taylor's journey is one of navigating the extremes of fame, addiction, and recovery, emerging as a thoughtful elder statesman of the post-punk pop movement.
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.
John was born in 1960, 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 John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded Duran Duran, one of the most commercially successful bands of the 1980s and MTV pioneers.
- Co-wrote and performed on a string of international hit singles including 'Rio' and 'Hungry Like the Wolf'.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Duran Duran in 2022.
- Released solo work and acted in films, including a lead role in 'Sugar Town'.
Did You Know?
He named the band after a character in the 1968 sci-fi film 'Barbarella'.
He initially played guitar before switching to bass to form the band's original lineup.
He is an avid collector of modern art and vintage automobiles.
He published a candid autobiography, 'In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran', in 2012.
“We were five individuals who came together and created something that was bigger than the sum of its parts.”
