Roger Taylor says John Deacon is too 'fragile' to ever rejoin Queen

4 October 2021, 12:41 | Updated: 5 October 2021, 10:33

John Deacon left Queen in 1997 and Roger Taylor says the 'fairy tale' of him returning will never happen.

Roger Taylor has brushed off the possibility that bass player John Deacon will ever return to Queen.

Deacon struggled through a clutch of live performances with the group after the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991 and was said to have told bandmates at the time that he couldn't continue.

While he stayed to complete 1995's Made in Heaven album and the band's Freddie tribute 'No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)', he retired from music in 1997.

Queen - No One But You (Only The Good Die Young) (Official Video)

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Speaking to Mojo (via ContactMusic), Queen drummer Taylor said of the prospect of the original three-piece reuniting: "It's a lovely fairy tale, but to be honest I don't think so.

"John's like a hermit, really. I don't think he's quite equipped for that - he's really fragile."

He added: "He can't deal with company or the outside world, so far as I know.

"I guess he just sits there counting his money."

Queen & Elton John - The Show Must Go On (Live, 1997)

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With Queen not recording any newly-written material since 1997, Deacon hasn't been replaced in the studio.

Several musicians have stepped into his position on Queen's various tours that have seen Paul Rodgers and then Adam Lambert fronting the group in Freddie's place.

David Grossman played bass from 1998 to 2004, and he was then followed by Danny Miranda to 2009, with Neil Fairclough taking up the role next.