Guitarist Andy Taylor has walked out midway through the American leg of Duran Duran's world tour after a breakdown in relations with his bandmates. Taylor, 45, will be replaced by a session musician for the hitmakers' upcoming concert in Chicago, Illinois. Remaining members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor speak of a "gulf" developing between them and Andy Taylor, which could not be bridged.

In a posting on the band's official website they wrote: "The past five years have been an incredible journey for us all - and having the original five back together was something that we had wanted to see happen for some time. As of last weekend, however, the four of us have dissolved our partnership and will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together."

They added, "Although obviously disappointed and saddened about this, we are excited about the next chapter of the Duran Duran story and look forward to seeing you all soon."

Duran Duran were one of the biggest acts of the 1980s before their split in 1987. They reformed in 2000 and continue to command a huge fan base. Taylor left the group in 1986 to form rock band The Power Station and later record solo material. He was replaced by American guitarist Warren Cuccurullo until he rejoined the band in 2001.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)