Duran Duran’s John Taylor: “I was driven to my knees!”

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 20:09:00 +0000

I've bumped into the Duran boys quite a few times over the years, but it wasn't until recently that I've managed to spend more than five minutes with any of them. In a weird twist of fate, I've gotten to know John Taylor, Duran Duran's bassist and one of its founding members, in recent years, since my wife, Frances Pennington, took a job as the head of marketing with Juicy Couture, a company started by John's wife, Gela Nash (together with Pamela Skaist).

Although Duran Duran and Tears for Fears come from different musical backgrounds — Tears for Fears, which I founded with Roland Orzabal, were from the shoe-gazer school, and Duran Duran were from the celebration school — I can honestly say that these men are some of the nicest and most genuine people I've met, which is such a rarity in the cutthroat entertainment industry. Still, when I was asked to interview John about his memoir, "In the Pleasure Groove" (Dutton), I was admittedly a little skeptical, as I thought it may turn out to be a grandiose tome about how big Duran Duran were.

Salon.com > Curt Smith

Duran Duran’s John Taylor: “I was driven to my knees!”