If you like Queen and the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody,” you’ll enjoy reading about the life and drumming experiences of band member Roger Taylor in “The Drums of Roger Meddows Taylor: A Full and Detailed History” by Dario “Blues” Di Nardo.
While growing up, Dario “Blues” Di Nardo was hypnotized by the performances of Roger Taylor, Queen’s drummer, both on television and in person. “I was always in love with Roger’s sound [and] lyrics,” Di Nardo says. “His particular voice range thrilled me as a teenager.”
Later Di Nardo created a database full of information he collected while looking to create a drum kit similar to Taylor’s. Writing a book had always been Di Nardo’s dream, so he took the database and made that dream a reality.
Published in January 2018 with 38 chapters, “The Drums of Roger Meddows Taylor: A Full and Detailed History” features hundreds of photos of Taylor performing, information about the drum kits he played, and a timeline following his successful career. It also contains interviews with Taylor and Chris Crystal Taylor, his personal assistant and band coordinator.
A portion of the book sales benefits associations that fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Di Nardo’s father, who was also a drummer, died from ALS, a disease that causes neurons controlling voluntary muscles to die.
Proceeds also go to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a not-for-profit started by former Queen band members and their manager in memory of lead singer Freddie Mercury, who died from HIV/AIDS. The organization has funded hundreds of projects over the years to fight the disease.
“Helping people is my style of life, and [giving] this money to those foundations is a great honor and happiness for me,” Di Nardo says.
The book costs 25€, about 22£, or $29. Those interested can purchase the book by emailing Di Nardo at dario.dinardo@hotmail.it.
