Keith Richards, 80 years of life and 60 music of the ‘main offender’ of ‘rock’: these are his successes

Keith Richards, the provocative guitarist and founder of the Rolling Stones together with Brian Jones and Mick Jagger, He turns 80 this Monday, away from bad habits who have scrutinized his career and are convinced that his “fascinating musical journey” is not over yet.

What are those bad habits? Drug use, clashes with the law and with his colleague and friend Mick Jagger. In fact, His longevity and vitality (and that of Jagger, also 80 years old) are astonishing.. In 1967, the two were arrested for possession of amphetamines.

It is known that he does not manage his social networks personally, but rather a team that does not hesitate to show him affection on Twitter and Instagram.

With a fortune estimated at around £400 million (€463 million), Richards is said to personify the world’s extravagance. Rock ‘n’ roll in all its facets.

In a recent interview with the British newspaper Daily telegramassured the artist that he had “no problem” entering that new decade: “I keep walking, I keep talking and growing older seems to be a fascinating process”.

Married for forty years to former model Patti Hansen – whom he met at the legendary Studio 54 club – and grandfather of several grandchildren. Loves He has thrown himself headlong into a ‘clean’ lifestyle, away from vices and quarrels.

“I quit smoking in 2019 and haven’t touched it since. I quit heroin in 1978, and cocaine in 2006. I still like to have a drink every now and then, because I’m not going to heaven anytime soon, but otherwise I try to enjoy a healthy life. A unique experience for me,” said the musician, whose album was released in 1992 Main perpetrator It was remastered in 2010.

A voracious reader, passionate about history, witty, eloquent and jealous of his private life, half a century ago the music magazine NME I mentioned it “the most elegantly crushed human being in the world”.

The years have not made him neglect his recognizable image, between quirky and idiosyncratic cool, with his unmistakable scarf tied on his head. Studiously sloppy, it seems inspired American actor Johnny Depp to play Captain Jack Sparrow in the saga pirates of the Caribbean.

The eight decades of a musical legend

The British tabloids announced weeks ago that Richards would celebrate the turn of the century with a “quiet family holiday” on a luxury safari in Africa.

Also the magazine Uncut will dedicate its January 2024 cover to celebrating the musician’s longevity and his “unstoppable vitality.”

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) recalls in that publication a meeting in a recording studio in Richmond (London), where he was given the opportunity to collaborate on the song. Scarletby the Stones.

He remembers Richards as “solid and determined and made no mistakes (…)”, and confirms that he is “the powerful force behind the Rolling Stones albums”.

“He has given us decades of beautiful, creative music with an attitude and character that only Keith Richards can. Let’s hope he lives another 80 years,” Page emphasizes.

Richards too He played a leading role in many of the scandals that shaped the Stones’ darkest legend in the 1960s and 1970s, and was arrested several times for possession of marijuana, cocaine and other illegal substances.. A past that has remained buried.

From the respected musical alliance he forms with Jagger, the virtuoso guitarist is considered the driving force behind songs like Satisfaction, Give me shelter, Wild horses or Angie. Of these last two he has said that they were written for his children.. On the other hand, Richards himself admits that the group’s latest album, Hackney diamondsReleased this year, it is largely the work of his colleague Mick.

Personal, This year he celebrates the fortieth anniversary of his relationship with Hansen, which has also not been spared any bumps.the former model recently told the magazine Fashion: “In any marriage, with or without the Rolling Stones, there are bound to be rocky mountains. We’ve had our challenges, no doubt, but overall it’s been great.”

Before Richards met his current partner and mother of two of his five children (daughters Theodora and Alexandra), he was in a relationship with actress Anita Pallenberg between 1967 and 1979, with whom he had three children: Marlon Leon, Angela Dandelion and Tara Jo Jo . who died after two months of sudden death.

Musically, much like Jagger, although virtually his entire musical career is tied to the Stones, He has developed solo projects and has joined The New Barbarians, along with another Stone, Ronnie Wood..

With a restless spirit, he has collaborated several times with Tom Waits throughout his career and paid tribute to other fellow musicians, such as his beloved Chuck Berry or Leonard Cohen.

About his impressive musical career, he recently said that it had been ‘a fascinating journey that is not yet over’.