Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor said he will leave the band due to his worsening tinnitus.
Taylor has been the chart-topping group's drummer since they formed in Birmingham in 1978, which he described as "the joy of my life", but said he had "reached the point where I must now listen to my body and my doctors".
The 66-year-old said his condition has been getting steadily worse, leading to him making one of his hardest decisions to quit the band.
The group, made up of Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist John Taylor, said his decision came after "careful consideration and medical advice", which said that "protecting his hearing and long-term health must now come first".
Taylor, who left the band in 1985 before returning in 2001, said: "Playing drums in this band has been the joy of my life, and I'll never be able to properly thank the fans for the love they've shown us over the years.
"But the truth is that my tinnitus has been getting steadily worse," he said.
He said deciding on the timing had been difficult but he was pleased to be "going out on a real high".
"We've just returned from a hugely successful UK and European tour, which followed our second headline show at BST Hyde Park, our induction into…
