Saxon announced the death of former drummer Nigel Durham, who was 61 years old, in a statement posted on Facebook. Durham played on the band’s 1988 album ‘Destiny’.
The band shared a message expressing their sadness at his passing and offered their condolences to his family.
Saxon’s announcement reads: “We are very sad to hear of the passing of a member of the Saxon family, former drummer Nigel Durham.”
“We send our love and thoughts to his wife Lauretta, daughter Gemma, his grandchildren, and family.”
The band’s current drummer, Nigel Glockler, also paid tribute to Durham. “RIP my friend, Nigel Durham — I will see you on the other side,” Glockler said. “Love and strength to Lauretta, his daughter and family.”
The announcement marks the band’s recognition of Durham’s time as a member of Saxon.
Durham was the drummer for Saxon from 1987 to 1988, replacing Nigel Glockler to play on the Destiny album. The album was produced by Stephan Galfas and was the last studio album Saxon recorded for EMI. The record label dropped the band when album sales disappointed. After the tour for Destiny, Durham and bassist Johnson were replaced in 1988 by Nibbs Carter and a returning Glockler on drums.
In a 2015 interview, Durham reflected on his time with the band. He stated that “EMI & the Producer were trying to make the band more commercial and radio friendly and that just isn’t Saxon.” Following his departure from Saxon, Durham played with Oliver/Dawson Saxon, a group formed by former Saxon members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson. His recording credits with that band included Re://Landed and It’s Alive.
Durham joined Morpheus Rising as a full-time drummer in 2013. Earlier in 2026, false claims about Durham’s death circulated on social media. On 14 July 2026, Durham addressed the rumour on his personal Facebook account, writing that he was still alive. The Metal Archives website later recorded the claim as an internet prank.
