Roger Taylor was born on the 26th July 1949, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England, and is a musician, singer, songwriter, and film producer, best known as the drummer of the legendary British rock band Queen from its formation in 1970. Taylor’s career started in 1968.
Have you ever wondered how rich Roger Taylor is, as of late 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Taylor’s net worth is as high as $170 million, an amount earned through his successful career as a musician. In addition to being the drummer of one of the most influential rock bands in history, Taylor has also recorded five solo albums and been involved in other music projects which have improved his wealth.
Roger Taylor Net Worth $170 Million
Roger Taylor was a son of Winifred and Michael Taylor and grew up in Truro, Cornwall, south-west England, along with his younger sister Clare. When he was seven, Taylor and his friend formed the band called the Bubblingover Boys, with Taylor playing the ukulele. He went to Truro Cathedral School and then joined Truro School. Although initially he learned to play the guitar, Taylor decided to become a drummer because of the heavy influences of Keith Moon of The Who and Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1967, Roger went to London to study dentistry at the London Hospital Medical College but later changed it to Biology after became bored with dentistry.
In 1968, Taylor met Brian May and Tim Staffell, and the three of them formed the band called Smile, but Staffell left after only two years, leaving them with just nine recorded songs. Roger met Freddie Mercury while two of them worked at the Kensington Market, and as Mercury was an avid fan of Smile decided to form a new band with May, and called it Queen. They added the bassist John Deacon and released their first, self-titled album in 1973. The album reached the No. 24 on UK Albums Chart and No. 83 on US Billboard 200, with over a million copies sold worldwide. Taylor’s net worth was well established.
The band’s fourth studio album called “A Night at the Opera” (1974) achieved multiple platinum status in both th US and the UK, with over six million records sold, topping the UK Albums Chart and peaking at No. 4 on the US Billboard 200. The band members made millions thanks to the commercial success of the album, while Taylor’s net worth significantly improved as a result.
Queen was at its peak in the late ‘70s, with such successful albums as “A Day at the Races” (1976), which topped the UK Charts and reached the No. 5 on the US Billboard 200, and “News of the World” (1977), that peaked at No. 4 in the UK and at No. 3 on US charts. They also released “Jazz” in 1978, and it reached the No. 2 on UK and No. 6 on US charts. In 1980 Queen recorded their eighth and probably the most lucrative album entitled “The Game” that topped both UK and US charts (the band’s only album to achieve that success in the US).
They released seven more albums, but after the Freddie Mercury’s death in 1991, Queen stopped recording new material, but they are still playing together at concerts. Roger Taylor wasn’t only a drummer in the group, he also served as an occasional singer and wrote numerous songs including “Stone Cold Crazy”, “Under Pressure”, and “Radio Ga Ga”. Taylor also released five studio albums from 1981 to 2013, adding even more money to his wealth.
From 1987 to 1993, he was a frontman of the band called The Cross as rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist. Except for Germany, The Cross didn’t enjoy commercial success, and they disbanded after releasing three albums. Taylor has collaborated with many fellow musicians such as Phil Collins, Genesis, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Jimmy Nail, Roger Waters, Roger Daltrey, Elton John, Foo Fighters and Bon Jovi, among many others.
Regarding his personal life, Roger Taylor dated Dominique Beyrand from 1977 to 1988 when they married even though their relationship had broken down earlier. The reason for the convenience marriage was the future interests of their two children: Felix Luther and Rory Eleanor. He was then in a relationship with Debbie Leng and has three children with her. They separated in 2002, and Taylor married Sarina Potgieter in August 2010. He currently lives in Puttenham, Surrey, England.
