Roger Taylor is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He achieved international fame as the drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Queen. As a drummer, Taylor was recognized early in his career for his unique sound and was voted the eighth-greatest drummer in classic rock music history in a listener poll conducted by Planet Rock in 2005. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 as a member of Queen.
Roger Meddows Taylor was born on July 26, 1949, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England. His family, including his parents Winifred and Michael, and younger sister Clare, moved to Truro, Cornwall, when he was around seven or eight years old.
As a child, Roger was described as intelligent and well-liked. He showed an early interest in music, forming his first band, The Bubblingover Boys, at age seven, where he played the ukulele. He later taught himself to play drums, initially by banging on his mother’s saucepans with knitting needles, and then with an old snare drum found by his father. He was inspired by drummers like Keith Moon of The Who and Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
He attended Truro Cathedral School briefly and later Truro School. At 15, he joined the semi-professional rock band Johnny Quale and the Reactions. When the lead singer left, Roger took over lead vocals, and the band became The Reaction, even winning a Rock and Rhythm Championship.
Despite his musical pursuits, Roger was a good student. He initially went to London to study dentistry at the London Hospital Medical College, but found it boring and switched to biology, obtaining a BSc at East London Polytechnic. While in London, he continued to pursue music, eventually answering an advertisement for a “Ginger Baker/Mitch Mitchell type” drummer, which led to his audition for the band Smile, where he met Brian May.
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