Roger Taylor

Singer-musician Roger Taylor rose to international fame as the drummer and occasional vocalist-songwriter for the hard-charging arena rock band Queen, with whom he performed from its humble beginnings in 1971 through the heights of its popularity in the 1970s and in numerous reunions following the death of flamboyant frontman Freddie Mercury in 1991. Taylor's brawny percussion style influenced a generation of rock drummers, most notably Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, while his four-octave vocal range anchored Queen's signature harmonies while also providing lead vocals and the stratospherically high end on songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody." Taylor was also the first member of Queen to launch a solo career, releasing his first single in 1977 before issuing a string of albums, both under his own name and with a new group called The Cross, between 1984 and 2013. However, few achieved the same historic heights as Queen, with which he remained associated well into the 21st century for much-publicized collaborations with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert. Though infrequently recognized for his contributions to Queen, Taylor was unquestionably a key component in the group's extraordinary success, as well as one of rock's most acclaimed drummers.