Roger Taylor English rock musician, drummer for the band Queen. Date of Birth: 26.07.1949 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Roger Taylor

Early Years
Roger Taylor was born on July 26, 1949, at West Norfolk & Lynn Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. He grew up in King's Lynn and attended Rosebery Avenue School as his first school. At the age of seven, he moved with his mother Winifred, father Michael, and younger sister Claire to Truro, Cornwall. It was in Truro that Taylor formed his first band, "The Bubblingover Boys," at the age of seven, where he played the ukulele. He later joined Truro School as a choir member at the age of 13.

Career 1968-1970: Smile
In the summer of 1968, Taylor met Brian May and Tim Staffell, after seeing an advertisement for a drummer at the Imperial College London. In Smile, May played solo guitar, Staffell was the vocalist and bassist, and Taylor joined as the drummer. They rehearsed throughout the fall and had their first performance at Imperial College with Pink Floyd. They then regularly played in London pubs and educational institutions. Taylor took an academic leave to pursue music full-time. Smile disbanded after two years, leaving Taylor with a set of nine songs.

From 1970: Queen
In 1969, Roger Taylor worked with Freddie Mercury at Kensington Market (they shared an apartment at around the same time). Mercury, then known as Freddie Bulsara, was a fan of Smile. The band disbanded in 1970, and that same year, Taylor turned down the opportunity to become the drummer for Genesis, and Phil Collins joined instead. Bulsara convinced the remaining members of Smile to continue their musical career, and he eventually joined the band, which they renamed Queen. They found bassist John Deacon in 1971 and released their self-titled debut album, "Queen," in 1973.

From 1977: Solo Career
Taylor was the first to release solo music among the members of Queen. In 1977, he released his solo single, "I Wanna Testify," which he recorded during Queen's rehearsals for the album "News of the World." In 1981, he released his first solo album, "Fun in Space," which reached 21st place on the UK Albums Chart. In 1984, he released his second album, "Strange Frontier," which included collaborations with fellow Queen members Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and John Deacon. Taylor went on to release several more solo albums throughout the years.

XXI Century
In the 2000s, Taylor continued to collaborate with Brian May and participate in various events and shows. He appeared multiple times on American Idol as a guest performer with Queen and mentored contestants. Taylor and May also performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In recent years, Taylor has released new solo music and continues to be actively involved in the music industry.

Personal Life
Taylor was in a common-law marriage with Frenchwoman Dominique Beyrand from 1978 to 1988, and they had two children together. He then had a relationship with model Debbie Leng from 1989 to 2002, with whom he had three children. In 2010, he married Sarina Potgieter after dating for six years. Taylor is an atheist and currently resides in Pattingham, England.