Roger Taylor

Roger Taylor

Roger Taylor is a British rock drummer, singer-songwriter and the drummer in Queen. He is born in 1949 in Dersingham, United Kingdom, and is also known as Roger Meddows Taylor. Before joining Queen, he forms Smile with Brian May; the group records one album in Japan, later issued more widely as Ghost of a Smile, and the song “Doin’ Alright” appears on the Smile release while other Smile songs later turn up on Queen’s debut album.

Early work and Queen

Taylor becomes known as part of Queen, one of the major rock acts associated with him. As well as drumming, he contributes to the band’s early material, and his work with Brian May in Smile feeds into Queen’s first album. His role as Queen’s drummer remains his best-known position.

Solo albums

Taylor is the first member of Queen to pursue a solo career. His solo albums include Fun In Space (1981), Strange Frontier (1984), Happiness? (1994), Electric Fire (1998) and Fun On Earth. His solo work is described as not widely successful, but it establishes him as a recording artist outside Queen.

The Cross and other bands

From 1987 to 1991, Taylor fronts The Cross. The first album, Shove It (1988), is effectively a solo record in all but name: he writes all the songs and plays most of the instruments himself. On the next two The Cross albums, he lets the other members contribute more, and the results are more conventional rock records. He also appears in Queen + Paul Rodgers between 2004 and 2008. His listed memberships also include Hale & Pace and the Stonkers, Band Aid 30 and Queen + Adam Lambert.

Labels and style

Taylor works in rock and is associated with the label Nightjar Productions Ltd. His career links him strongly with classic rock through Queen, while his own material and side projects show a broader role as a songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.