Simon Le Bon said Duran Duran‘s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame brought them mixed emotions, because former guitarist Andy Taylor’s cancer meant he couldn’t join them for the ceremony.

In a recent interview with BBC Radio 2, the singer described 2022 as their best year since the dizzying heights of the ’80s, and looked forward to more action in the coming year.

“It was an incredible moment of pride, but also of sadness too,” Le Bon said. “Andy Taylor, he’s very unwell. And we were very sad that he couldn’t be there with us to share with us.”

Le Bon explained that after the ceremony, the band traveled to Ibiza to bring Taylor his award. “He’s in very good shape, actually, as it happens,” Le Bon said. “But you know, he’s got a serious disease and he actually couldn’t make it over to L.A. There’s a lot of love there between him and us.”

The vocalist revealed that the ceremony was the first time he’d ever met fellow Black Country frontman Rob Halford. “Rob’s lovely; Rob’s a really nice guy,” he reported. “Judas Priest, really nice bunch of guys, and it’s great to see them still at it.” But he was even happier about having been able to meet Dolly Parton. “I got to sing!” he said. “She’s so much more in real life than she is on TV. … She’s an extraordinary real maverick of the business. I was so proud to have that moment.”

Along with their Rock Hall victory, Le Bon said the band’s performances at the Commonwealth Games and the Queen’s jubilee celebrations had also been momentous experiences, such that 2022 was “easily the best year that Duran Duran has had [since 1980] – and maybe, sort of in its own way, was better than anything we did then.” He continued: “There was so much that went right [and] you do appreciate it because you never know what’s gonna get taken away. But also, we’ve got a lot better at it than we were then. … It’s all about the music and all about the show [when it] used to be about the parties, really.” He pointed out: “We still have a little bit of partying left in the us now!”

Looking ahead, he insisted there was much more to come. “Well, we like each other. We respect each other,” he said of the band’s longevity. “We respect the differences. We don’t try and force everybody to be the same. We love being in Duran Duran. We love the music we make together, and we share the money equally – which is probably the biggest, most important thing.”