Roger Meddows Taylor, born on July 26, 1949, is a renowned English musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He is famously known as the drummer of the iconic rock band Queen, but has also showcased his talents as a songwriter and occasional lead vocalist.
As a songwriter, Taylor has made significant contributions to Queen's discography, penning at least one track on every album, and often taking the lead vocals on his own compositions. His impressive repertoire includes three UK number one singles, "These Are the Days of Our Lives," "Innuendo," and "Under Pressure," as well as numerous major hits such as "Radio Ga Ga," "A Kind of Magic," "One Vision," "Heaven for Everyone," "Breakthru," and "The Invisible Man."
In addition to his exceptional drumming skills, Taylor has demonstrated his versatility by playing keyboards, guitars, and bass on his own songs. During the 1980s, he formed a parallel band called The Cross, where he served as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist.
Taylor is also recognized for his remarkable falsetto vocal range. By the time Queen's album "News of the World" was released in 1977, Taylor had met his future girlfriend, Dominique Beyrand, who worked for Richard Branson at the time. They lived together from 1980 to 1987, raising their two children, actor Felix Taylor and doctor Rory Eleanor Taylor.
Taylor and Beyrand decided to get married for estate purposes, to protect their children's interests in the future. However, he soon began a relationship with model/actress Deborah Leng, the Cadbury's Flake girl, and moved in with her a month after their marriage of convenience. Before Freddie Mercury's passing, Taylor and Leng welcomed their first child, drummer Rufus Taylor, born in March 1991.
Taylor went on to have two more children with Leng: models Tigerlily Taylor (1994) and Lola Leng-Taylor (2000). The couple eventually broke up in late 2002. Taylor remarried on August 26, 2010, to Sarina Taylor, and resides in Guildford, Surrey, and Helford, Cornwall. His younger half-sister is fashion model Genevieve Potgieter.
