Keith Richards

Keith Richards (born December 18 1943 in Dartford, Kent), is a British guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with The Rolling Stones, the band he founded with vocalist Mick Jagger and Brian Jones in 1962. In addition to his work with The Stones, Richards also has worked as a session guitarist with artists as varied as Gram Parsons, Tom Waits, Bono and The Edge of U2, Nona Hendryx, John Phillips and Aretha Franklin.

Early life

Keith Richards was a World War II baby born in the "crossfire hurricane" (mentioned in the lyrics of "Jumpin' Jack Flash") of Nazi bombings. He was an only child, reportedly conceived as a way to get his mother, Doris Richards, off the wartime factory production line. Richards' father, Bert, was a disabled war veteran and working class factory labourer. Despite the family's modest station, Richards' paternal grandparents were socialists and civic leaders. His maternal grandfather toured Great Britain as a jazz/big band musician. In interviews, Richards often cites his mother's father as a leading influence in his young life. He also admired the singing American Western film star Roy Rogers.

Related Topics:
World War II - Socialists - Jazz - Big band - Roy Rogers

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His parents divorced around the time that Keith was expelled from Sidcup Art College. The divorce led to a long period of estrangement from his father, Bert Richards, which continued until 1982. It is sometimes erroneously cited that this estrangement led Richards to drop the "s" from his surname from the mid-1960s to 1981. Nevertheless, the idea was originally proposed by Andrew Loog Oldham, the first manager of the Stones. He advised Richards to drop the "s" as it would resemble the name of Cliff Richard, one of Britain's greatest stars at that time. Keith did reintroduce the "s" to his surname after he reconciled with his father in 1982. His father accompanied his son on every Rolling Stones tour from 1989 until his death in 2002.

Related Topics:
Sidcup Art College - 1982 - Cliff Richard

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