Queen drummer Roger Taylor is a man of many talents, and if you haven’t heard him sing lead before, then you’re in for a real treat! The English rock icon dropped into Later… with Jools Holland on October 20, 2024, to sing John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” and hit the ballad for six! Holland provided piano while Taylor sang, and the stripped-back arrangement was the perfect vehicle to hear how special Taylor’s voice is.
Taylor is known for adding high backing vocals in Queen, and occasionally lead vocals, but it’s safe to say there are probably a fair few The Music Man readers who haven’t heard him really go to town on vocals before. The 75-year-old has such a lovely, raspy voice that’s the perfect fit for the thoughtful ballad from the former Beatles frontman.
Fans really enjoyed Taylor’s take on the Lennon classic and added plenty of praise in the comments below the video, such as “Having a great voice was a given to be a member of Queen. Great song, well done Roger Taylor” and “The funny thing is that Roger had the voice to be the frontman of any other great rock band other than Queen!”
Taylor’s lead vocal contributions to Queen were often made on songs he composed himself. One of the most memorable Taylor vocal moments was when he sang lead live on “Radio Ga Ga” with his solo band. Queen had frontman Freddie Mercury sing lead on the original studio version, with Taylor providing backing vocals, but in the years since, the sticksman has sung it live numerous times.
Taylor has made his admiration for the Beatles clear over the years, and here at The Music Man we agree with him on that one! It’s not surprising to hear him cover “Jealous Guy,” as he spoke about his love for the song to Shortlist in 2013. The sticksman called it his favorite sad song, saying, “For this one, I’d say it’d be Jealous Guy by John Lennon. I just think it’s the most beautiful song, beautifully sung and I did used to sing it actually, I always enjoyed singing it. I find it just moves you, y’know – and that’s what sad songs are supposed to do.” Lennon released “Jealous Guy” as part of his second studio album Imagine in 1971. The former Beatle didn’t release it as a single at the time. However, after a hit cover by Roxy Music, Lennon’s estate released his version as a single, and it charted in the UK and US.
If you would like to hear more from this talented musician, visit Roger Taylor’s Facebook or follow his journey on Instagram.