Duran Duran’s John Taylor Hits out at Duchess of Cambridge Topless Photos

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EIGHTIES heart-throb John Taylor has hit out at the paparazzi and editors who have published pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge topless.

The Brummie bass player, who has enjoyed decades of success with Duran Duran – favourite band of Prince William’s mum, the late Diana, Princess of Wales – said he was angered by the photos.

Speaking at his old school, Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre in Redditch, John, 52, said: “Every time I start talking about it I get into an argument. People in the privacy of their own home should feel free that they are not going to be photographed.

“Those photographs were not taken in a public place, and should not have ended up in the public domain.”

John was visiting Redditch and Birmingham on a trip from his home in LA, where he lives with his wife Gela, to promote his autobiography.

The couple have three children from previous relationships – John was previously married to former actress and TV presenter Amanda de Cadenet, with whom he has a daughter, Atlanta.

He revealed he was inspired to write his autobiography following the death of his father, Jack, three years ago.

Grief ignited a desire in him to stay connected with the city of his birth, the place where he launched his life-changing career as a musician with neighbour Nick Rhodes in Wythall. In the book he reveals he was devastated by his dad’s death, and found it hard to come to terms with the loss.

“Initially it was selling the house that I had grown up in and seeing all these boxes of memorabilia,” he told the Sunday Mercury. “Right away I wanted to memorialise dad. That was the initial motivation to start writing.

“Then, as part of the grieving process, I realised I didn’t have a great connection with the area where I grew up, and of which I was very proud.”

John and Nick are the original members of Duran Duran. They soon joined forces with drummer Roger Taylor from Castle Bromwich, singer Simon Le Bon, who was studying at Birmingham University, and guitarist Andy Taylor, who has since left the band.

The Durans enjoyed a long line of hits, including Rio, Save A Prayer and View To A Kill. But John was kicked out of his music class for singing out of tune when he was at school.

“I remember telling the careers officer that I wanted to be a pop star,” he recalled. He said ‘Yes, don’t we all? But what are you actually going to do?’

“My journey started when I was a student here. I think being here gave me the confidence and I began to see a possible direction that my life could take.”

John admits he wasn’t a great success at school. He rarely attended lessons and instead spent his days wondering around Birmingham, visiting Virgin Records and Oasis clothing market.

“I was lucky to find my way another way,” he said. “But I’m not suggesting that anyone else should behave as I did back then.”

In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death & Duran Duran by John Taylor, priced £18.99, is published by Sphere.

Courtesy of Sunday Mercury News