Roger Taylor Biography

Fast Facts

• Formed the charity Nelson Mandela 46664 with Brain May, for which he wrote the songs "Say It's Not True" about testing positive for HIV and "Invincible Hope" about Nelson Mandela's writings
• Graduated from the London Hospital Medical College with a degree in Biology, although he originally studied Dentistry
• First became interested in music in the early 1950s with his first instrument being the ukulele
• His first band was Cornwall's The Reaction, in which he was both the drummer and lead singer
• Formed the band Smile with Brian May in 1968, later adding John Deacon and Freddie Mercury in 1971 to form Queen
• Formed the band The Cross in 1987, in which he was the lead singer, and which released three albums and toured the UK and Europe
• Best known as the drummer and backing vocalist of the glam rock band Queen
• Wrote several of Queen's hit songs, including "Radio Ga Ga," "Days of Our Lives," and "A Kind of Magic․"
• Was the first member of Queen to record a solo album, "Fun In Space" in 1981, and went on to release three more solo albums
• Funded the Manchester United football club when media tycoon Rupert Murdoch tried to buy it to prevent the sale from taking place