Credit: Simon Lupton / Christopher Hopper / Elektra Records
Fri 16 October 2026 16:12, UK
Queen drummer Roger Taylor has admitted that he no longer speaks to the band’s former bassist, John Deacon.
Despite playing together for 26 years in the original Queen lineup, Deacon chose to leave the band after Freddie Mercury’s death, performing publicly only three times since his tragic passing in 1991.
His last such performance took place in 1997, when the three surviving Queen members, Brian May, Taylor, and Deacon, reunited for ‘The Show Must Go On’ with Elton John.
During a recent conversation with Classic Rock, Taylor commented on the particularities of his old bandmate and confirmed that they are no longer in touch.
He shared, “John is a real recluse. I think he speaks to our lawyers and our accountant, and that’s it.”
Taylor added, “I really don’t know what John is doing now. He’s probably sitting in a room somewhere, counting his money.”
Deacon has steered clear of any recent association with the legendary band; he even skipped their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, and refused any involvement in the band’s 2018 biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Taylor has previously discussed how Mercury’s death impacted his former bandmate, telling The Times that the grief “really broke us up, and I don’t think John Deacon did cope. He went to pieces. He didn’t want to go on in the music industry after that.”
Elsewhere, Taylor shared the disappointing news that Queen are unlikely to release any new music with their longtime vocalist, Adam Lambert.
Taylor admitted honestly that Lambert is currently “on a slightly different path” than Queen, but was quick to add that he “wouldn’t close the door” on future tours together.
On the brighter side, earlier this month guitarist Brian May clarified recent comments he made about Queen’s future as a touring band, backtracking on previous comments that seemed to suggest Queen’s time as a touring band was over: “I could never say that,” he reassured fans.
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