Duran Duran bassist Andy Taylor has praised King Charles for revealing his cancer diagnosis and said the king’s honesty will save “millions of lives.”
The musician is currently battling stage four prostate cancer and is two-thirds of the way through his latest breakthrough treatment.
Andy turned 63 on Friday, which will be his first birthday outside of the initial five-year life expectancy he was given after his diagnosis, which he attributes to the advancement of medical science.
Andy believes Charles will also benefit from the same benefits and says being open about his condition will encourage others, particularly men, to do the same.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, he said: “There are some amazing treatments for all types of cancers that couldn’t be done a few years ago, so I imagine you’ll get the best of the best, as you should.”
Duran Duran bassist Andy Taylor has praised King Charles for revealing his cancer diagnosis and said the royal’s honesty will save “millions of lives”.
The musician told MailOnline: “It’s what a modern king should do and I’m sure it will save millions of lives.”
‘But the strength of what the King did was that if you can be humble and talk about it, that will encourage others to do it, especially men.
You can talk nonsense in the pub after a few beers, but you don’t talk about your health together? That has always puzzled me.
“So it was bold for the most famous man on the planet to open up, which would have been absolutely huge for him. He was like a king.
“It’s what a modern king should do and I’m sure it will save millions of lives.”
“Once you start talking about it, you find generosity, care and hope from other people.”
Andy, who was one of the original members of Eighties band Duran Duran alongside singer Simon Le Bon, says his birthday will be quiet on the advice of his doctor, Sir Chris Evans, who has been supervising his radiotherapy treatment, which includes six- to eight weekly doses of ‘nuclear medicine’ that kills prostate cancer after it has spread to your bones.
He jokes: “I have to be careful, because I have treatments that go down to the bone; I can’t be doing an Elvis.”
‘You have to avoid those delicious pints and take it easy.
“Sir Chris gave me that official warning, because it is something basic and you have to be careful.”
The rock star, who was told to prepare for end-of-life care, said he has undergone “two rounds of retreatment” and is back to singing and dancing (Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Andy Taylor of LR Duran Duran and John Taylor in 1981)
Andy admits that the type of cancer he is battling would not have been treatable until recently and says patients simply had to “live and die with it.”
He has been well enough to help organize several charity parties to raise money for the Cancer Awareness Trust, including an event last October at which Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant performed the band’s classic hit Stairway To Heaven for first time in 16 years with Andy on bass.
This week, the veteran rocker admitted in a new interview that he’s unlikely to play it again, meaning Andy’s party will go down in music history.
He says: ‘Robert told us he would never perform it again before our event and I understand why, when you write something when you’re younger, you don’t necessarily believe in it now.
“But because of the charitable nature of what we were doing, he said, ‘Let’s give it a try.'”
‘It was amazing and I didn’t know I hadn’t played it for so long.
‘The only thing I was worried about was trying to play with it while my fingers were screwed up after a fall.
“But it was very generous of him to do that.”
Andy is stepping up his fundraising efforts by hosting an online auction where bidders can compete for an original Banksy painting, which will be presented to them by himself, Robert and Sir Chris at Claridges Hotel in London.
And flights and accommodation will be booked for the winner to pick up the artwork.
‘It didn’t exist five years ago’: Earlier this year Andy told how he will undergo ‘nuclear therapy’ after being diagnosed with cancer
Money from the winning bid will go towards global fundraising efforts to launch the first version of the Cancer Platform – a free website and app that directs people to specific, trusted and expert information quickly and easily.
Of the coveted painting, Andy says: “We had a Banksy hanging around, so I thought, let’s give it away.”
‘The Banksys are very loved and this one has a military theme, so it’s quite appropriate at the moment.
“The art lover or the public who purchases it will benefit a little.”
Key Point: Visit the crowdfunder website for information on how to bid.
Or you can simply access the link at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/banksy-have-a-nice-day#start