The wait is over: Duran Duran will finally be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.
And at least one former member will be present at the ceremony: Andy Taylor, the guitarist has confirmed.
After passing the 25-year mark of eligibility more than 15 years ago, Duran scored its first nomination in February. The band then proceeded to dominate the fan vote, ultimately finishing with 934,880 votes, more than 250,000 ahead of second-place finisher Eminem.
On Nov. 5, Duran will join the hall along with Eminem, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Ritchie, and Carly Simon, along with others in the honorary award categories, including fellow performer nominee Judas Priest.
And now another wait begins: to see how Duran present themselves on the big night. Former guitarists Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo are to be inducted along with the core four Durans.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Simon Le Bon said that he “already had a definite yes from Andy” and that “I'm pretty sure Warren will want to do it.”
The original band will reunite “for one night only (& what a night it will be),” Taylor shared on social media. “I had a brief chat with SLB the other day, everyone is genuinely thrilled & excited.”
The band members will have to let any bygones be bygones on the night, but a performance from all six could be a big moment for Duran and its legacy.
And it's clear that the band members are elated about their pending induction.
After Duran's decisive win in the fan vote, keyboardist Nick Rhodes said that “it's a real thrill that we've won this vote and it will mean equally as much to us as if we make it through to the award.”
Le Bon also weighed in on the massive outpouring from the fans. “I think it just kept the attention on us,” he told Rolling Stone. “I think that probably had some kind of sway when it came to the actual votes.”
Indeed, the top five finishers in the fan vote will be inducted this year. Save for Eminem, the ceremony will definitely have an '80s flavor, with the other five nominees arguably having their biggest impact during that decade.
But it was Duran that ruled them all in the fan vote. The ceremony will be another chance to prove any doubters wrong.
