Cult guitarist Keith Richards turns 80

Rolling Stones - Cult guitarist Keith Richards turns 80

There is hardly a living musician who fits the description of a rock legend as well as Keith Richards. His wrinkled face and smoky voice bear witness to his decades-long career in the music business. His life is the subject of countless myths.

The Rolling Stones guitarist is regarded as the personification of rock 'n' roll. When asked about this, however, Richards is modest. "No single person can fill this position," he said in an interview with the German Press Agency in London last year. "I find it amazing that people accept my work. I am sometimes really overwhelmed." Then he laughs. "But I don't want to contradict them either."

New tour sold out in a short space of time

Keith Richards turns 80 today and has every reason to celebrate. Because in his old age, the indestructible musician continues to cement his legendary status. His Rolling Stones' latest LP, "Hackney Diamonds", is one of the most successful albums of the year. The next tour of the restless veterans, which will take them through North America in the spring and summer, was sold out after a short time. Behind the scenes, plans are already being made for Europe.

Of course, the Stones will once again be playing the biggest stadiums in the world. But Richards actually prefers the smaller halls and clubs. "You're simply closer," he explains in the dpa interview. "Besides, rock 'n' roll sounds much better in smaller rooms. I've always loved playing in clubs. That was actually always a chance to do things that I couldn't do otherwise, because the Stones got so big so quickly."

First gig in July 1962

When the Rolling Stones played their first gig at London's Marquee Club on July 12, 1962, nobody could have predicted that the five nervous young men in dark suits would go on to become one of the most famous, successful and long-lasting bands in music history. More than 60 years later, only Keith Richards and Mick Jagger remain from the original line-up. Ronnie Wood only joined the Stones in the 70s.

Only child "Keef" was born on December 18, 1943 in Dartford in the county of Kent. He inherited his passion for music from his maternal grandfather. Gus Dupree was a jazz musician. He regularly took his grandson to music stores, eventually bought him his first guitar and taught him chords.

At school, Richard's current congenial partner Mick Jagger was one of his classmates. It was a chance meeting later on, during which the two of them had a lively conversation about the music of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry, that made them friends who soon became bandmates. "He was terribly shy," Jagger recalls in the documentary series "My Life As A Rolling Stone". "You can tell in interviews that he was introverted by nature."

Richards dreamed of becoming a rock star as a child

Accordingly, Richards was completely overwhelmed by the huge success of the Stones, even though he had dreamed of becoming a rock star as a child. "You're 18, playing the blues, and after a few months, women are trying to rip your clothes off and jump off the balcony," he says in the Stones documentary. "It's not exactly what I had imagined. It was absolute chaos."

The musician first had to get used to the loss of privacy. "That comes with fame and all this other crap, there's a lot that comes at you." He would have been perfectly happy to simply record music anonymously. "But of course that wasn't possible," says Richards. "You have to go out there and present yourself. That's what I learned, and I really enjoyed it. But I think my sanctuary was heroin, it was drugs."

It was only when he was arrested for heroin possession in Canada in 1977 and faced a prison sentence of up to 20 years that he came to the realization that he couldn't go on like this - but not because of his own health. "In Canada, I realized that I was putting the band in danger," he says. His thought: "If I get out of here and don't have to go cold turkey in prison, then I'll get clean." Music was always his priority.

He now lives a reasonably healthy life

Compared to the past, Richards now lives a reasonably healthy life. "I quit smoking in 2019 and haven't touched a cigarette since," he told the Telegraph. "I gave up heroin in 1978 and cocaine in 2006, but I still enjoy the occasional drink. Apart from that, I try to enjoy being sober. It's a unique experience for me."

Because he is an iconic guitarist, it is sometimes overlooked that he is also a brilliant songwriter. With Mick Jagger, he created countless rock classics such as "Gimme Shelter", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Start Me Up", which are instantly recognizable. His recipe: "I just like pithy intros, especially in rock 'n' roll. If the intro grabs you, then you stick with it a little longer, and if the riff after the intro grabs you too, then you've basically got the people."

Occasionally he also makes an appearance on vocals. He has recorded two solo albums with his backing band X-Pensive Winos, on which he takes on the lead vocals. As a schoolboy, he sang in the choir and even once performed at Westminster Abbey in front of Queen Elizabeth II. "I really enjoy singing," he says today. "It's fun, and the more I do it, the more I like it."

Writing songs until he drops

With the Stones, however, he only occasionally stands at the microphone. "I already have an incredible singer, and I have to make sure he has work," jokes Richards. "I really enjoy singing when the song fits. I do that as often as I can. But my main job really is, and always has been, to write songs that Mick Jagger sings. That's my job." A job that he says he wants to do until he drops.

The question of whether the current LP is his last and the upcoming tour his farewell to the stage has been asked for decades. But even if it is often claimed - the Rolling Stones have never announced their farewell and probably never will. "Of course it will come to an end - eventually," Keith Richards recently told the BBC 4 radio station. "Everyone is in good shape. There's no particular time pressure."