Legendary '80s Pop Star, 66, Has Fans Jumping to His Defense After Latest Performance
Legendary '80s Pop Star, 66, Has Fans Jumping to His Defense After Latest Performance originally appeared on Parade.
As the frontman for iconic British pop/New Wave group Duran Duran, Simon Le Bon was known for his flamboyant style and pitch-perfect vocals. Over 40 years after the release of their eponymous debut album, loyal fans are still turning out to see the singer and his bandmates play their biggest hits live onstage — and they're more than ready to defend their favorite musicians from any haters out there.
In a video shared to TikTok this week from a recent live performance in Amsterdam, Le Bon delivered an impressive rendition of Duran Duran's number one hit, "The Reflex," wearing a pair of tight white pants and a fitted black t-shirt. While the star seemed as energetic as ever, some commenters took the opportunity to criticize his performance, slamming Le Bon as an "aging pop star" and suggesting that it's "time to give up." Others, however, came to his defense with lightning speed.
"He is 66!!! He still looks and sounds fab!" one person declared, adding, "So many rude and disrespectful comments from people who listen to remixes from the 80s. Simon le Bon was my 80s! My teenage years."
"I will defend my boy simon till I die," agreed a second fan, while another pointed out, "I'm 50. My hip couldn't get that high. Fair play to him!"
"Listening to the comments, jealousy is a many headed snake just saying," another commenter wrote.
No matter what his critics say, it seems Le Bon isn't planning on slowing down anytime soon — and he still looks back fondly at his earlier years with Duran Duran. In an April 2025 interview with The Times, Le Bon weighed in on his trademark "1980s outfits," saying he's "not embarrassed by any of it."
"I remember playing a gig in the UK in about 1980 and it was a very hot day," he recalled, adding, "We were in the dressing room, we knew it was going to be absolutely boiling, so Roger [Taylor] literally tore a strip off a towel, put it around his head and tied it in a knot at the back. I looked at him and thought, that looks cool in a Jimi Hendrix sort of way, so I did the same thing."
"That was on a Saturday afternoon," Le Bon continued. "By Monday kids were wearing that — and by the end of the week it was in the fashion pages of newspapers."Legendary '80s Pop Star, 66, Has Fans Jumping to His Defense After Latest Performance first appeared on Parade on Jun 19, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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