Ever since I can remember, February has always been marked by two birthdays: my brother’s and Andy Taylor’s. About a week ago, my older brother celebrated a significant birthday as he turned 50! (For the record, that makes me feel old and I’m the youngest!) As a kid, I always remember celebrating my brother’s birthday with his favorite chocolate pie and some science fiction movie. A week later would always mean Andy Taylor’s birthday.
As soon as I became a Duranie, the band members’ birthdays were a big deal. When I was lucky, a Duran birthday meant spending the night at my friend’s house where we would watch MTV for as long as we could stay awake. It also meant begging and pleading for some sort of cake from one of the mothers. I remember actually putting in candles and singing “Happy Birthday” to no one in particular. Tell me that I was not the only one to do this. Am I right?
Now, as an adult, I don’t necessarily make a cake or sing, but I still like to acknowledge the big day in some way. On this day, I have to acknowledge Andy’s birthday as he turns 57. While he may not be in the band anymore, I still like to celebrate him and what he gave to the band. After all, when I think of early Duran Duran, I think of the musical tug-of-war between the rock guitar sound and the experimental keyboard sounds. To me and to a lot of Duran fans, this musical fight brought out some of the best Duran music ever recorded. A song and performance like this one comes to mind:
Speaking of performances, who could forget how Andy rocked a song like Wild Boys!
Beyond Duran Duran, I appreciated what he also brought to the table when it came to Power Station!
Of course, Andy created some music on his own, too!
One thing is certain. Andy Taylor has made his mark, musically, on the world. While I am uncertain to what he is doing today, I hope that he is continuing to be creative and that he is as happy as he can be. On this day, we celebrate him and all of the musical gifts that he has given to us over the years, whether as a member of Duran Duran, Power Station or as a solo artist. Happy Birthday Andy!
-A
A very happy birthday Andy, the guitar God!
Happy belated birthday to your brother, as well !