Andy Taylor, famous guitarist and founding member of Duran Duran, detailed his battle with stage 4 prostate cancer and how his life has changed since his diagnosis.
Taylor said he noticed something was wrong in 2018 when he felt “arthritic pain” and noticed lumps in his lymph nodes during a February interview with People. He had found worldwide success with Duran Duran and signed a solo record deal before discovering his serious medical condition.
“My father passed away because of prostate. So there was the family history. So I thought this could be, and sure enough,” he said. “As harsh as it is, it’s a death sentence,” he said. Taylor has continued to battle the odds, in spite of the grim prognosis, according to People.
Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor on Living with Stage 4 Prostate Cancer: ‘I’m Not Giving Up on Life’ https://t.co/H0kCG9LUq2
— People (@people) February 15, 2023
Taylor described his emotions after learning he was suffering from an incurable disease. “So you sort of walk out of the hospital in a stunned silence, because you could never be prepared for … you’ve got to start from the fact that it’s a slow burn, so it’s not going to take you quickly,” Taylor told people.
He explained he has kept his cancer under control with the help of a drug called abiraterone acetate, and expressed the important role that music plays in his life. (RELATED: Legendary Musician Jeff Beck Dead At 78)
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“Music’s never had a greater value to me,” Taylor told People.
“One of the things that I learned early was, if you keep your mind active and you’re there and physically active, it really does [make a difference]. You’re carrying this grim reaper of a weight,” Taylor said.
The famous musician kept his diagnosis from the public until April 2022, and has since been open about his struggles and his desire to live each day to the fullest.