Beloved rock musician dead after cancer battle: ‘He fought until the bitter end’

EntertainmentRock drummer Bobby Taylor has died. Getty ImagesBy Brian Linder | blinder@pennlive.comBobby Taylor, a beloved drummer who played with multiple rock bands, has died after a battle with cancer.His wife, Jami Taylor, shared the news on Facebook.“Love is … knowing when to let go,” she wrote. “Rest in peace, my beautiful sweet husband. You don’t have to fight or suffer anymore. Fly high, my love. We WILL be together again one day. Bobby Taylor lost his fight today. He fought until the bitter end. He was NOT going without a fight! Even the hospice nurses couldn’t believe what they were witnessing with his tenacity and to fight and hold on!”Jamming.LIVE STL also posted about Taylor’s death on Facebook.“Bobby Taylor wasn’t just a drummer — he was an absolute BEAST behind the drums!” the post read. “His energy, passion, and talent could light up any stage, and his powerful presence left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of watching him perform. But beyond the music, Bobby was a genuinely kind soul with a big heart. He loved his wife deeply, and that love was just as powerful as the music he played. “Bobby fought a heroic and courageous battle with cancer, showing incredible strength and determination along the way,” the post continued. “Though his battle has come to an end, his legacy will live on through the music, the memories, and the countless lives he touched. We extend our deepest condolences to his beloved wife, family, friends and fellow musicians. The stages may be a little quieter without Bobby, but the beat he left in our hearts will never fade.”Taylor revealed on the “Rock, Recovery, and Real Talk with Bobby Taylor,” podcast last year that he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in 2021. “I had a lump under my jaw,” he said. “And then they turned into other lumps, and then it got into the lungs. I’ve done radiation five times. I’ve done chemo five times. I’ve done two immunotherapies, a target study and a partridge and a pear tree man. “I don’t want to compare myself to Jesus, but Jesus was beaten for a day,” he added. “I’ve been beaten for four (expletive) years man.”Taylor said during the episode that he was denied lung surgery at the Mayo Clinic because he was “too far gone.” He closed out the podcast, which was titled “The End is Near, so Let’s Drink Beer,” by talking about dying.“I’ve been beaten since 2022, man,” he said. “And I just tell people I want off this ride. But, you know, if I can live with it, and pay a mortgage and play with my band … you know, to me, it’s hard to accept dying. But, you know, 3-year-olds are dying. I had a friend that his daughter died when I was working at GM, and she died of leukemia. Eleven years old, man. So, who am I?“I just will not (expletive stop),” he added. “I’ll fight to the end, man.”Brian Linder is the trending editor at PennLive.com. He has more than 20 years of experience working for newspapers first in South Carolina, then Daytona Beach, Florida and now in Pennsylvania. Linder spent...