Pop
Duran Duran were saved by Sir Mick Jagger, says keyboardist Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes has reflected on early advice from Sir Mick Jagger, his friendship with David Bowie and Princess Diana’s admiration for Duran Duran.
Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes has revealed the moment Sir Mick Jagger urged the band to stay united at a crucial point in their early career.
Speaking to The Independent, the keyboardist said the Rolling Stones frontman pulled him aside and told him: “You know you really do need to stick together, that is your future.”
Rhodes added: “He was right because it could all have fallen apart at that time.”
The Girls On Film hitmaker also opened up about his long‑standing aversion to drugs, explaining that the lifestyle never appealed to him. “
He said: "My mind moved too quickly anyway. I can never slow down so the last thing I wanted was a pile of drugs.
“I tried some and it didn’t suit me… the idea of taking something when you don’t know what is going to happen is thoroughly unappealing.”
The musician recalled how seeing late music icon David Bowie changed the course of his life.
He said: “By the time I saw David Bowie I no longer wanted to be an astronaut or a magician… I wanted to be a musician.”
He described Bowie as “a dear friend, an intellectual – and funny as hell,” adding: “I liked him very much because he wasn't a let down.”
The late Princess Diana was another high‑profile admirer of the band.
Rhodes said: “We met her several times.
“She was a great fan to have. I used to see her around in Chelsea.”
