Robert Taylor, the classic rock guitarist who was once a member of the band Dragon, has suddenly passed away. He was 74 years old.
Videos by Suggest
Kerry Jacobson, a friend and former Dragon bandmate, confirmed the news.
“I’m writing to share the unexpected and devastating news of the passing of my mentor, my partner in crime for some of the best times, my musical comrade through the hardest of times, and my dear friend of decades…the [irreplacable] Robert Taylor,” he wrote.
Jacobson further shared, “Many admired his songwriting and his musical talent, and, after all these years, people would still speak to me with great reverence of his talent and contribution to Australian music.”
Jacobson also said that he admired Taylor’s loyalty and mateship while also valuing his consistency. “I absolutely loved it when often the phone would ring and he was up for a chat,” he continued. “He had a dry wit, was a keen observer and had a memory like a razor but mostly he was just one of the good ones.”
Dubbing his former bandmate as “one of the good ones,” Jacobson added he will miss Taylor.
Robert Taylor First Joined Dragon in 1972
The band Dragon was first formed in Auckland, New Zealand, with Marc Hunter, Todd Hunter, Ray Goodwin, Graeme Collins, and Neil Reynolds. Robert Taylor joined the group in 1974 and stayed with it until the first breakup in 1979. He then reunited with his bandmates in 1982. He permanently departed from the group in 1985.
Dragon has since continued to play. Following Taylor’s departure, the bandmates stayed together until 1997. They reunited once again in 2006 and have continued to play since.
The band’s co-founder and bass player, Todd Hunter, is still in the group, with Mark Williams as the lead vocalist. The majority of the original bandmates have since passed away.
The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2008. Taylor joined the bandmates for the induction ceremony.