Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon looks unrecognisable in new snaps showing him taking a break while on a shopping trip in Italy.
The star, 62, was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s in the New Romantic band Duran Duran, but he couldn’t look more different today.
Simon was spotted taking a shopping trip with his model wife Yasmin in Italy.
He stood out in a teal Run DMC t-shirt, and was spotted trying on a few items of clothing for size, including a suit jacket.
As well as a bit of retail therapy, 80s icon Simon was seen enjoying a drink with Yasmin, 56, and friends at a restaurant in Portofino.
(Image: Cobra Team / BACKGRID)
The star has reason to celebrate, after he recently got the go ahead to extend his already impressive ten-bedroom London home by a third.
The multi-million-pound home is set to increase in value with the enormous addition.
Responsible for hits such as Girls On Film and Hungry Like The Wolf, Simon was taking time away from his plans to relax in Italy.
(Image: Cobra Team / BACKGRID)
He shares his home with daughters Amber, 31, Saffron, 29, and Tallulah, 26, and the extension is needed because they apparently aren’t in any rush to move out.
Yasmin told reporters: “Somehow we have created this home that no one wants to leave.”
She continued: “It’s the opposite of what you’re meant to do but I love having the children around.
(Image: Cobra Team / BACKGRID)
“During lockdown we’d have lunch every day in the garden. It was great, though I’m sure the neighbours thought we were having parties,” she joked.
Duran Duran will be joining the likes of Tom Jones, Liam Gallagher and Snow Patrol on the bill for the Isle Of Wight festival in September.
The 2020 festival was cancelled due to the pandemic, and other bands performing include Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kaiser Chiefs, David Guetta and The Script.
(Image: Cobra Team / BACKGRID)
Duran Duran formed in Birmingham in 1978, and Simon starred alongside keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor.
Le Bon has been warning that there will be a “hole” in the next generation of musicians if something isn’t done to improve payment from streaming music.
He told NME: “What do artists get? It’s like 0.2 of a penny per stream and that’s not just for artists.”
(Image: Cobra Team / BACKGRID)
He continued: “A percentage of that will go to the record company as well, who then don’t give it to the artists. They’ll give it to the people they consider to be the most successful artists.”
Le Bon says the way the industry works is “unfair” and “so wrong”, and thinks it isn’t right that consumers can pay only £9 a month to listen to unlimited music.
(Image: Cobra Team / BACKGRID)
The star says the development “devalues recorded music.”
Looking back at his glory days and the success of Duran Duran working full time as musicians, he fears the same opportunities won’t be available for up-and-coming bands and singers.
He fears new artists won’t make a living “unless they play live, and during a pandemic no one has been able to do that.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Simon added: “There’s going to be a hole in the generation,” and accepted that when Duran Duran were at their peak there was nowhere near as much competition fighting for attention and success.
He said at the time you could be the biggest band in the world, but conceded: “I don’t think it would be possible now.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
