I became a John Taylor fan in 1984. I didn’t realize that most Duranies picked a favorite as I had no idea what other fans did or thought. I only knew what my friends and I were doing. It just felt natural to pick a favorite. I was more interested in his interviews and pictures of him. I *squeed* more when I saw him on the screen. It didn’t take much for me to declare John my favorite. Interestingly enough, my best friend at the time also picked John. I have heard and read many times about how friend groups split so that there would only be one John fan in a group and one Simon fan in the group, etc. That didn’t happen with me. Perhaps, this is because we were so young. We hadn’t learned that important lesson of competition over men yet. In fact, I think it reassured me that my choice in John was right on. I wasn’t weird for liking him the most. It was normal. It was good. So, what was it then that drew me to him and what has kept him my favorite almost 30 years later?
Probably like many of you, I was drawn to John Taylor by his looks. Now, don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t like the other guys weren’t good looking. There just was something special with John. Looking back to my 9-year-old self, I think part of his looks that really grabbed me was that “pretty boy” face. He didn’t seem old to me. He didn’t seem intimidating to me. While clearly he was an adult, he wasn’t an adult like my parents, their friends, my teachers or any other adult in my known world. No, he seemed in between–not a kid but not an adult. Beyond that, I liked that he seemed to have a little rebel in him without going too far. As many of you might know or remember, this was the era of the blonde bangs. I loved that he had different hair but it wasn’t as far as what Nick would do with his looks, for example. I like that he was pushing the envelope a little but didn’t completely destroy it. Yeah, his looks definitely got my attention first, but then I heard him talking.
Again, like many of you, I was glued to my television in 1984, hoping to see a video or three on MTV. I also hoped to see any and all interviews on MTV, on other talk shows, on Friday Night Videos. For some reason, the interviews mattered to me a lot. Why? This is simple. As you all know, I like to know as much as I can about the people and topics that interest me. Interviews told me a lot. Not only did the answers tell me about the band, their plans, etc. They also told me about their opinions, their level of intelligence, their sense of humor and more. Interviews gave me an insight that I couldn’t get from watching their videos or even reading interviews in books and magazines. What did I discover watching Duran interviews? I got very quickly that they were smart and articulate, but it became obvious that some were more comfortable in that setting than others. Obviously, Roger wasn’t very comfortable. Nick seemed to be on a different level of existence that my young self couldn’t be a part of. Andy didn’t show up a lot in interviews, from what I remember. This left Simon and John. Simon seemed smart but, sometimes, I had a hard time following him. (Part of me wants to blame this on my young age, which could be, but, as an adult, I still struggle to understand him, at times!). No, John seemed confident, smart and very articulate. He gave clear answers that seemed to be genuine and heartfelt.
Of course, as I have gotten older and have learned more and more about John, my favorite hasn’t changed but has solidified. John is still my favorite. I have discovered that his heartfelt and sincere self can also translate to the written word, whether in short blogs on the official website to his autobiography. I have seen those same qualities shine through in his solo work as he didn’t bother to hide what he thought or felt. No, instead, he embraced his emotions and shared them with the world. I completely admire this. His passion extends outward as well as he has made his feelings known about some significant topics like drug and alcohol rehab availability to advocating for Obama for President. I admire anyone that is willing to take a stand about something that s/he believes in. Yet, he doesn’t let those opinions overwhelm him, which would or could lead to alienation of others.
Interestingly enough, I still find myself drawn to individuals with many of the same qualities, everything from looks to the ability to be articulate to the desire to stand up for what they believe to intelligence to a sense of humor and more. Almost thirty years after seeing John Taylor for the first time, I’m still a fan. I still admire him and I admire others with similar qualities. Perhaps, this is because John had such an impact on me when I was young. Perhaps, I would have been drawn to these characteristics, no matter what. Nonetheless, I suspect that if I were to do a blog about my favorite Duran member in 10 years or 20 years, I would still say the same thing. John Taylor is my favorite.
-A
