Roger Taylor

Best known as the drummer of the iconic rock band Queen, Roger Taylor was born in the British town of King's Lynn, Norfolk, on July 26, 1949. He began playing stringed instruments like ukulele and guitar as an 8 year old, then switched to the drums at age 12. By 1968, he was playing alongside guitarist Brian May in the band Smile. The band eventually renamed itself Queen, with vocalist Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon completing the original lineup. The group enjoyed enormous success for two decades, with Roger Taylor co-writing the Number 1 British hit duo "Under Pressure" with David Bowie, as well as the chart-topping 1991 hits "These Are the Days of Our Lives" and "Innuendo." He contributed to Queen's harmony-heavy vocal blend, as well. Beginning with 1977's "I Wanna Testify," Taylor also released a number of singles and albums outside of the band, both as a solo artist and as the leader of his own band, The Cross. His solo albums Fun in Space (1981), Strange Frontier (1984), and Happiness? (1994) were all Top 40 hits in the UK, although his work with The Cross — whose debut album, Shove It, was released in 1988 — failed to garner the same commercial accolades. Following Mercury's death in 1991, Taylor continued to perform in Queen alongside a number of guest singers, with Adam Lambert ultimately assuming the frontman role in 2011. Meanwhile, he also continued to release solo material, charting at Number 69 in the UK with 2013's Fun on Earth and reaching a career-high peak of Number 3 with his 2021 release, Outsider.