John Taylor, Duran Duran Bassist, Tests Positive for Coronavirus

John Taylor, the bassist for the iconic ’80s band Duran Duran, tested positive for the coronavirus. The 59-year-old musician broke the news on the band’s Instagram page, and said he was “blessed with getting only a mild case” of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus. Taylor said he has recovered from the illness and credited quarantining himself with helping.

“DEAR FRIENDS OF MINE after giving some thought to this, I have decided to share with you that I tested positive with the Corona Virus almost three weeks ago,” Taylor wrote. “Perhaps I am a particularly robust 59 year old – I like to think I am – or was blessed with getting only a mild case of Covid 19 – but after a week or so of what I would describe as a ‘Turbo-charged Flu,’ I came out of it feeling okay – although I must admit I didn’t mind the quarantine as it gave me the chance to really recover.”

“I am speaking out in answer to the enormous amount of fear being generated by the pandemic, some of it entirely justified, and my heart goes out to everyone who has had to deal with real loss and pain,” Taylor continued. “But I want to let you know that it isn’t always a killer, and we can and will beat this thing.”

At the end of his message, he sent a tribute to the group’s fans in Italy, the U.K., the U.S. and everywhere else he has visited as a member of the group.

“Cannot wait to be back onstage again, sharing new music, love and joy. Stay safe, stay connected and get creative!” Taylor wrote.

Taylor is one of the founding members of Duran Duran, along with Nick Rhodes, Simon Colley and Stephen Duffy. The group’s current line-up includes Rhodes, Taylor, Roger Taylor and Simon Le Bon. The group’s hits include “Girls on Film,” “Rio,” “Hungry Like a Wolf,” “Union of the Snake” and “The Wild Boys.”

Taylor is the latest musician to test positive for the coronavirus. Marianne Faithfull and Christopher Cross tested positive, while John Prine was hospitalized after showing symptoms of COVID-19 and for double pneumonia. Jazz legend Ellis Marsalis Jr., country star Joe Diffie and Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schelsinger died after contracting the illness.

Singer Pink revealed she tested positive for the coronavirus, but a second test had a negative result. She said both she and her son Jameson had symptoms of COVID-19. She also donated $1 million to relief efforts, split evenly among the Temple University Hospital Emergency Fund and the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Emergency COVID-19 Crisis Fund.

There are now more than 1.2 million coronavirus cases around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the U.S., more than 337,000 tested positive and over 9,600 people have died.

Photo credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Centrepoint