Duran Duran changed my life.
Okay, I know some of you are probably going, oh, don't be so melodramatic. But it's true.
I was 12 years old when I discovered Duran Duran. I saw the videos for "Rio" and "Hungry Like The Wolf" on this great channel I just happened across one day called MTV, and that's it, I was hooked. I bought the Rio album and was glued to the stereo and MTV from then on.
Back in those pre-Internet days, I got information on the bands I liked from radio, magazines, and eventually MTV. Duran hadn't yet reached superstar status in the States when I first became a fan, so information and photos trickled in from these sources, and they were precious to me. Finding some printed media from England was a coup. As they started to gain popularity here, interviews with the band members were popping up everywhere, and photos were in abundance. I studied these as if they held the answers to every question ever asked. But by reading these interviews and magazine articles and perusing these photos, I started to realize that there was a different, larger world out there that up until that point was unknown to a kid from suburban Long Island.
My musical world expanded. If John Taylor or Simon Le Bon commented in an interview about Roxy Music, well, I wanted to know more about them and hear their music. I bought import records from English bands that had no following in the States, but I gave them a try. Sure, I got some duds, but every purchase led me to another band, and another, that maybe I wouldn't have gotten to like otherwise. Through Roxy Music, I found Japan, Scritti Politti, the Alarm, Nik Kershaw. I fell hard for Ziggy Stardust era David Bowie and learned about the genius of Mick Ronson. I started to notice funky bass lines and poetic lyrics. My Top 40 looked nothing like the popular charts back then, and still doesn't, and I owe that to Duran.
And let's talk about fashion. Duran Duran got a rep for being a pin up band, and they wore gorgeous, stylish clothes and yes, makeup. So that became important to me. I was a John Taylor devotee (still am), so I had the requisite fedora like he wore in the "Hungry Like The Wolf" video, but there was more to it than that. I started experimenting with clothes, makeup and hair styles, following their example. I can pretty much guarantee I am the only person ever to grace the halls of Woodland Junior High in a ruffled blouse, maroon sash belt, black leather pants and heels in honor of the New Romantic look. I dyed my short hair platinum blonde a la Nick Rhodes. I had a shiny purple suit I wore during my sophomore year of school. It took a while, but I finally figured out my own style and never followed the pack. I still don't, in lots of areas of my life, and I owe that to Duran.
Most importantly, I met my best friend because of the band. In the early 80s "Duranies" tended to congregate toward one another to talk, trade photos, daydream. I've been lucky enough to sustain a friendship with an incredible person for over 20 years because a mutual interest in the band led us to each other, and I owe that to Duran.
That friend and I have had some incredible times together because of Duran Duran. More on that tomorrow....
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