Keith Richards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keith Richards
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_(Keith_Richards).jpg)
Richards in 2022
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| Born | 18 December 1943 |
| Other names | Keith Richard |
| Education | Dartford Technical School Sidcup Art College |
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| Years active | 1960–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Patti Hansen
(m. 1983) |
| Partner(s) | Anita Pallenberg (1967–1980) |
| Children | 5, including Theodora and Alexandra |
| Musical career | |
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Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, and singer. He is a founding member and guitarist of the Rolling Stones. Keith Richards is also a secondary vocalist for the band.
His songwriting partnership with the band's lead singer, Mick Jagger, is one of the most famous in music history. Richards's unique guitar playing style has been a key part of the Rolling Stones' sound for over sixty years. He was first known as Keith Richard, but by the 1970s, he started using his full family name again.
Richards grew up in Dartford, Kent, England. He studied at the Dartford Technical School and Sidcup Art College. After school, Richards became friends with Jagger, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Ian Stewart, and Brian Jones. Together, they formed the Rolling Stones.
Besides playing guitar, Richards also sings lead on some Rolling Stones songs. He usually sings at least one song per concert. Some of these songs include "Happy" and "Before They Make Me Run". Outside of the Rolling Stones, Richards has also played with his own band, The X-Pensive Winos. He also acted in two Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He played Captain Teague, who is the father of Jack Sparrow. The look and character of Jack Sparrow were inspired by Richards himself.
In 1989, Richards was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine has ranked him as one of the best guitarists ever. The magazine also lists many songs he wrote with Jagger on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
Contents
Growing Up in England
Keith Richards was born on 18 December 1943. He was born at Livingston Hospital in Dartford, Kent, England. He was the only child of Doris Maud Lydia and Herbert William Richards. His father worked in a factory.
Richards's grandparents, Ernie and Eliza Richards, were community leaders. They helped create the Labour Party in Walthamstow. Both of them served as mayors of the Municipal Borough of Walthamstow. His great-grandfather's family came from Wales.
His grandfather, Augustus Theodore "Gus" Dupree, played in a jazz big band. He helped Richards become interested in the guitar. Richards says his grandfather gave him his first guitar. His grandfather put the guitar on a shelf where Richards could not reach it. He told Richards that if he could reach it, he could have it. Richards found ways to reach the guitar. Then, his grandfather taught him his first song, "Malagueña". Richards worked hard on the song. After that, his grandfather let him keep the guitar. Richards played at home, listening to music by Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. His father, however, did not like his son's interest in music. One of Richards's first guitar heroes was Elvis Presley's guitarist, Scotty Moore.
Richards went to Wentworth Primary School with Mick Jagger. They were neighbors until 1954. From 1955 to 1959, Richards attended Dartford Technical High School for Boys. He sang in a choir there. He even sang at Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II. In 1959, Richards was expelled from Dartford Tech. He then went to Sidcup Art College. There, he spent more time playing guitar with other students. By this time, Richards had learned many of Chuck Berry's guitar solos.
Richards met Jagger again by chance at a train station. Jagger was carrying rhythm & blues albums by Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. They found they both loved the same music. This led to them becoming friends again. Jagger was singing in a band called Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys. Richards soon joined them. The band later broke up. Then, Brian Jones invited Mick and Keith to a pub. There, they met Ian Stewart.
By mid-1962, Richards left Sidcup Art College to focus on music. He moved into a London flat with Jagger and Jones. Around the same time, his parents divorced. Richards stayed close to his mother.
After the Rolling Stones signed with Decca Records in 1963, their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, changed Richards's name. He dropped the 's' from his last name. He thought "Keith Richard" looked more like a pop star. In the late 1970s, Richards added the 's' back to his name.
Musical Style
Richards plays both lead and rhythm guitar parts. He often plays both in the same song. The Rolling Stones are known for their guitar "weaving" style. This is where Richards and the other guitarist (like Ronnie Wood) play together. In the studio, Richards sometimes plays all the guitar parts himself. This includes songs like "Paint It Black" and "Gimme Shelter". He also sings backing vocals on many Rolling Stones songs. He sings lead on some songs, like "Happy". He also sings with his side project, the X-Pensive Winos.
Band Leadership
Since the mid-1960s, Richards and Mick Jagger have written most of the songs for the Stones. They have also produced the band's music since the 1970s. They are known as the Glimmer Twins. Former keyboard player Ian Stewart once said Richards was the Rolling Stones' bandleader. Richards says his job is just "oiling the machinery." Unlike many bands where the drummer sets the pace, Richards often sets the rhythm for the Rolling Stones. Both former bassist Bill Wyman and current guitarist Ronnie Wood have said the Stones follow Richards.
Guitar Playing
Chris Spedding says Richards's guitar playing is "direct and clear." Richards focuses on chords and rhythms. He avoids showing off his skills. He prefers playing with at least one other guitarist. Chuck Berry was a big inspiration for Richards. He and Jagger introduced Berry's songs to the Rolling Stones' early music.
In the late 1960s, Richards started to record all guitar parts on many songs. This included slide guitar. When Mick Taylor joined the band, he played lead guitar. This created a clear difference between lead and rhythm guitar. In 1975, Ronnie Wood replaced Taylor. Wood's arrival brought back the "weaving" guitar style. Richards and Brian Jones learned this style from Chicago blues.
Richards experimented with open tunings in the late 1960s. He mainly used them for chords. This created a unique style of syncopated (off-beat) chords. You can hear this on "Street Fighting Man" and "Start Me Up". Richards often uses a five-string open G tuning (GDGBD). He removes the lowest string from his guitar. He says it "gets in the way" of his playing. The band's bass player plays those lower notes. This tuning is heard on songs like "Honky Tonk Women" and "Brown Sugar". Richards said banjo tuning inspired this style.
Richards believes acoustic guitar is the basis for his playing. He thinks electric guitar limitations would make him "lose that touch." He plays acoustic guitar on many Rolling Stones songs. These include "Play with Fire" and "Angie". For "Street Fighting Man" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash", he recorded acoustic guitars. He overloaded them to a cassette recorder. Then, he played them back through a speaker in the studio.
Singing Voice
Richards sang in a school choir. He sang for Queen Elizabeth II. He sang until his voice changed during his teenage years. He has sung backing vocals on every Rolling Stones album. Since Between the Buttons (1967), he has sung lead or co-lead on at least one song. This is true for almost every Rolling Stones studio album.
He has sung lead on more than ten Rolling Stones songs. These include "Happy" and "You Got the Silver". During the Rolling Stones' 1972 tour, "Happy" became a regular concert song. Since then, he sings lead on one or two songs each concert. This gives Mick Jagger time to change his outfit.
Writing Songs
Richards and Jagger started writing songs together in 1963. Their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, encouraged them. He believed the band should not rely on other songwriters. Their first songs were recorded by other artists. "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was their first top-ten song in the UK. They also wrote "As Tears Go By" for Marianne Faithfull.
The first top-ten hit for the Rolling Stones written by Jagger and Richards was "The Last Time" in 1965. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (also 1965) was their first international number-one hit. Richards said the "Satisfaction" guitar riff came to him in his sleep. He woke up just enough to record it on a cassette player by his bed. Since Aftermath (1966), most Rolling Stones albums have featured their own songs. Their songs show influences from blues, R&B, rock and roll, and country music. Later, they added elements of funk, disco, and reggae. Richards has also written slow, emotional songs. These include "You Got the Silver" (1969) and "Slipping Away" (1989). His songwriting partnership with Mick Jagger is one of the most successful in history.
In his solo career, Richards often shares songwriting credit with drummer and producer Steve Jordan. Richards believes that "songs written by two people are better than those written by one." He feels he is less a creator and more a "conduit" when writing songs. He says, "There's only one song, and Adam and Eve wrote it; the rest is a variation on a theme." Richards was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993.
Music Production
Richards has been a music producer since the 1960s. Since 1974, Richards and Mick Jagger have often produced Rolling Stones records. They also produced records for other artists. They use the name "the Glimmer Twins". They often work with other producers.
Since the 1980s, Richards has produced or co-produced many projects. He has worked with artists like Aretha Franklin and Ronnie Spector. He also produced his own albums with the X-Pensive Winos. In the 1990s, Richards co-produced and added guitar and vocals to "Wingless Angels". This was a recording of Rastafarian chanting and drumming. It was released on Richards's own record label, Mindless Records.
Solo Music
Richards has released a few solo recordings. His first solo song, released in 1978, was a cover of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run". In 1987, Richards formed the "X-Pensive Winos". He formed the band with co-songwriter and producer Steve Jordan. Richards put the band together for his Chuck Berry documentary Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll.
Other members of the X-Pensive Winos included guitarist Waddy Wachtel and saxophonist Bobby Keys. The first Winos' album, Talk Is Cheap, was very successful. Its release was followed by Richards's first solo tour in the US. Live at the Hollywood Palladium, 15 December 1988 shows this tour. In 1992, the Winos' second album, Main Offender, was released. This was also followed by a tour.
A third Richards album, Crosseyed Heart, was released in September 2015.
Working with Other Artists
In the 1960s, Richards often recorded with other artists. These were mostly for Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records label. Richards also sang on the Beatles' 1967 TV show for "All You Need Is Love". He played bass with John Lennon and Eric Clapton in the Dirty Mac in 1968.
In the 1970s, Richards worked with Ronnie Wood many times. He played guitar, piano, and sang on Wood's first two solo albums. He also joined Wood on stage for concerts. In 1979, he toured the US with the New Barbarians. This was a band Wood formed to promote his album.
Since the 1980s, Richards has made more guest appearances. In 1985, he added guitar and vocals to Tom Waits's album Rain Dogs. In 1986, Richards produced and played on Aretha Franklin's song "Jumpin' Jack Flash". He also led the band for the Chuck Berry film Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Richards continued to work on many musical projects. He played guitar and sang on Johnnie Johnson's 1991 album Johnnie B. Bad. He also sang and played guitar on a Charles Mingus tribute album. He sang with country legend George Jones on "Say It's Not You" in 1994. His guitar and vocals are on the Hank Williams tribute album Timeless (2001). Richards also added guitar and vocals to Toots & the Maytals' song "Careless Ethiopians" in 2004. This album won a Grammy Award.
Recent Years
On 27 April 2006, Richards had a head injury in Fiji. He slipped off a tree branch. He had surgery in a New Zealand hospital. This delayed the Rolling Stones' 2006 European tour for six weeks. Richards later apologized for "falling off my perch." The band played most of the delayed shows in 2006 and 2007. In 2013, Richards thanked the surgeons in New Zealand. He joked, "I left half my brain there."
Actor Johnny Depp has said his character in Pirates of the Caribbean is based on Richards. In the third movie, At World's End, Richards played Captain Teague. He played the role again in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
In 2012, Richards joined the Independent Music Awards judging panel. He helped independent musicians with their careers.
In 2015, Richards said he did not like rap and hip hop music. He called Metallica and Black Sabbath "great jokes." He also said he stopped being a Beatles fan in 1967. This was when they visited the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. However, he still played bass in John Lennon's band, The Dirty Mac, in 1968.
In September 2016, Richards and director Julien Temple hosted a TV program on BBC Four. It was called Lost Weekend. Richards chose his favorite 1960s comedy shows, cartoons, and thrillers. Temple also directed a documentary, The Origin of the Species. This film was about Richards's childhood and music roots.
Honoring Other Artists
Richards has always honored artists who inspired him. After the Rolling Stones became famous, they visited the US. Richards said this was to "pay back" the American blues artists. He has performed many times to show his thanks. In 2006, he sang a duet with Norah Jones for Gram Parsons. On 12 March 2007, Richards attended the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. He inducted the Ronettes. He also played guitar during the jam session. On 26 February 2012, Richards honored Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen. They received the first PEN Awards for songwriting.
Richards is in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!. This film shows the history of New Orleans music. Richards said New Orleans musicians "put the roll into rock." He also performed the Fats Domino song "I'm Ready."
Doris Richards, his mother, died of cancer in England on 21 April 2007. She was 91. A family statement said Richards stayed by her side in her last days.
Richards made a small appearance as Captain Teague in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The movie was released in May 2007. He won the Best Celebrity Cameo award for the role. Johnny Depp said he based many of Jack Sparrow's actions on Richards. Richards played Captain Teague again in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, released in May 2011.
In March 2008, the fashion company Louis Vuitton showed an ad with Richards. It featured a photo of him with his ebony Gibson ES-355. Richards gave the money he earned to the Climate Project. This group works to raise environmental awareness.
On 28 October 2008, Richards appeared at the Musicians' Hall of Fame ceremony. He joined the Crickets on stage. They performed "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day".
In August 2009, Time magazine ranked Richards at No. 4 on its list of the 10 best electric guitar players. In September 2009, Richards told Rolling Stone magazine he had recorded with Jack White. On 17 October 2009, Richards received the Rock Immortal Award. Johnny Depp presented the award. Richards said, "I liked the living legend, that was all right, but immortal is even better."
In 2009, a book of Richards's quotes was published. It was called What Would Keith Richards Do?: Daily Affirmations from a Rock 'n' Roll Survivor.
In August 2007, Richards signed a deal for his autobiography, Life. It was released on 26 October 2010.
Richards appeared in the 2011 documentary Toots and the Maytals: Reggae Got Soul. It was shown on the BBC. It told the story of one of Jamaica's most important artists.
Awards and Recognition
In 2010, David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine called Richards the creator of "rock's greatest single body of riffs" on guitar. The magazine ranked him fourth on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Rolling Stone also lists fourteen songs he co-wrote with Jagger on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
In 2023, Tom Waits wrote a poem for his friend called "Burnt Toast To Keith". That same year, Richards was honored with a statue in Dartford.
Musical Gear
Guitars
Richards has a collection of about 3,000 guitars. He has used many different models. In a 1986 Guitar World interview, Richards joked that he could make any guitar "sound the same" in five minutes. Richards has often thanked guitar makers like Leo Fender. He thanked them during the Rolling Stones' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
| Type | Notes | Ref |
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| Harmony Meteor | Richards' main guitar in the early years of the Rolling Stones. He stopped using it in 1964. | |
| 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard | Richards got this guitar in 1964. It was one of his main guitars until 1966. He later sold it to Mick Taylor. | |
| 1961 Epiphone Casino | Richards first used this guitar in May 1964. He used it often until 1966. | |
| 1965 Gibson Firebird VII | In the mid-1960s, Richards and Brian Jones often had matching Firebird VIIs. | |
| 1957 Gibson Les Paul Custom | Richards got this guitar in 1966. He painted it in 1968. It was his main stage and studio guitar until 1971. | |
| 1950s Gibson Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" | He got a second "Black Beauty" in 1969. He used it for open-G tuning on tours. | |
| Gibson ES-355s | Richards used this guitar on stage in 1969. It was a favorite for recording Sticky Fingers. Richards has used ES-355s on every tour since 1997. | |
| Gibson Les Paul Juniors | Richards has used Juniors since 1973. He often uses a yellow one called "Dice." He uses it for "Midnight Rambler" and "Out of Control". | |
| 1953 Fender Telecaster | This guitar is most linked to Richards. He got this butterscotch Telecaster in 1971. It is called "Micawber." It is set up for five-string open-G tuning (-GDGBD). Richards removed the lowest string. "Micawber" is one of his main stage guitars. He uses it for "Brown Sugar" and "Honky Tonk Women". | |
| 1954 Fender Telecaster | A second Telecaster, called "Malcolm" or "Number 2." It is also set up for 5-string open-G tuning. It has a natural wood finish. | |
| 1967 Fender Telecaster | This third Telecaster is used for five-string open-G playing. It is a dark sunburst model. Richards has used it on stage for "You Can't Always Get What You Want". | |
| 1958 Fender Stratocaster | Ronnie Wood gave Richards his 1958 Mary Kaye Signature Stratocaster. Richards has used this guitar for "You Don't Have to Mean It" and "Miss You". | |
| 1975 Fender Telecaster Custom | Richards first used this guitar on the Rolling Stones' 1975 tour. It was his main guitar until 1986. It was later changed for five-string open-G tuning. | |
| Ampeg Dan Armstrong plexiglas guitar | Richards got this guitar in 1969. It was one of his main guitars until it was stolen in 1971. He used it for "Carol" and "Sympathy for the Devil". | |
| Gibson Hummingbird | Played since the late 1960s. | |
| Zemaitis Five-String | This guitar was custom-made in 1974. It was decorated with skulls. Richards used it as his main open-G guitar from 1975 to 1978. A Japanese copy was used on the 2005–2006 tour. | |
| Newman-Jones custom guitars | Luthier Ted Newman-Jones made several custom five-string guitars. Richards used them on tours in the 1970s. |
Amplifiers
Richards's amplifier choices have changed. But he often uses low-powered amps in the studio. He gets a clear, distorted sound by using two amps. One is a larger amp like a Fender Twin for a clean sound. The other is a Fender Champ, which is overdriven.
Some of his notable amplifiers are:
- Mesa/Boogie Mark 1 A804 – Used from 1977 to 1993. It can be heard on Rolling Stones albums like Some Girls.
- Fender Twin – Since the 1990s, Richards has used different Fender "tweed" Twins on stage.
- Fender Dual Showman – First got in 1964. Richards used it often until 1966.
- Ampeg SVT – This powerful amp helped shape the guitar sound of live Stones shows in the 1970s.
Effects
In 1965, Richards used a Gibson Maestro fuzzbox. This created the unique sound of his guitar riff on "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The song's success made the fuzzbox sell out quickly. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Richards used guitar effects like a wah-wah pedal. But he mostly relies on matching "the right amp with the right guitar" for his sound.
Discography
- Talk Is Cheap (1988)
- Main Offender (1992)
- Crosseyed Heart (2015)
Film Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Man on Horseback | Soldier | |
| 2002 | The Simpsons | Himself | "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" (voice) |
| 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | Captain Teague | Won Scream Award for Best Cameo |
| 2007 | Keith Richards: Under Review | Keith Richard/Richards | |
| 2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | Captain Teague | Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast Nominated—Scream Award for Best Cameo |
| 2011 | Toots and the Maytals: Reggae Got Soul | Himself | Documentary |
| 2012 | Rolling Stones: One More Shot | Himself | TV movie |
| 2015 | Keith Richards: ... | Himself | TV movie |
See also
In Spanish: Keith Richards para niños
