Keith Richards turns 70 years old this December, and I think it’s fair to say that the dude looks every bit his age, and it is truly amazing that he’s (1) still alive; and (2) has been recording and touring as part of the Rolling Stones for 50 years now. Keith is definitely the fiercest rhythm guitarist around, but I still have no earthly idea how the guy is still kicking, and I’m not alone in that sentiment at all.
Well Keith knows how we all feel and thinks it’s pretty funny too. He unironically sat down with Men’s Journal to promote this summer’s enduring Stones tour by talking about his (somewhat continuing) history with drugs and his joy at being a family man with his (second) wife, Pattie Hansen, to whom he’s been married for 30 years. Damn, all of these decades are blowing my mind. Here are some interview excerpts:
Why did he quit drugs? “With the smack, I knew: ‘I’ve got to stop now, or I’m going to go in for hard time.’ The cocaine I quit because I fell on my head! Due to that — no more coke. Actually, my body tells me when to stop . . . the hard way. It’s a knock on the head — OK. It’s no big deal to me, to give things up.”
Heroin allowed him to work? “It was — either stay up or crash out or wake up. It was always to do something. Also, I’ve got to confess, I was very interested in what I could take and what I could do. I looked upon the body as a laboratory — I used to throw in this chemical and then that one to see what would happen; I was intrigued by that. What one would work against another; I’ve got a bit of alchemist in me that way. But all experiments must come to an end.”
Does he feel he’s damaged his body? “I’ve never felt that it affected the way I played one way or another; if I stayed up I got a few more songs out of it. It’s like Churchill said about alcohol, ‘Believe me – I’ve taken a lot more out of alcohol than it’s ever taken out of me!’ And I kind of feel the same way about the dope and stuff. I got something out of it. Might’ve p-ssed off a lot of people!”
He still smokes weed & drinks wine: “I hate all this idea of rehab and giving stuff up because it just means you’re hung up on it. It just means, ‘OK, I’m drinking too much — I’ll cut down.'”
He doesn’t move around the stage much anymore: “I wanted to concentrate on the playing. We obviously hadn’t played onstage for a long time, and I did want to stay close to Charlie Watts, keep the band in tight. It wasn’t from a physical point of view. I wanted to stay centered, I wanted to play well — with me, I never know! As long as I’ve got the band centered then I can play well.”
Does he hit the gym? “The answer is no. My workout is when I work with the guys. If I have a massage, it’s from the old lady. I’ve never been the person to be like, ‘I need a massage,’ somebody who’s like, ‘Oh, that’s nice.’ I mean, I’m pretty limber! Mick is in fantastic shape; Charlie Watts is endlessly relentless. So from the physical point of view — it doesn’t come into it. We’re actually doing a longer show than we’ve ever done! I’ve felt no particular strain.”
He adores his wife: “Thank God for Mrs. Patti Hansen, who has finally got her way and put me on the straight and narrow. I mean the proof is in the pudding: great kids. I’m the one that cooks breakfast. When I’m at home, I’m Daddy to the max.”
Does he wonder why he’s still alive? “I do. Sometimes it makes you wonder, ‘What they got in store for me?’ Ha, ha! Have they got the really big drop?”
[From Men’s Journal]
Well, at least Keith is honest about never working out at the gym. He’s also definitely the exception to the rule as far as heroin use goes because most smack addicts don’t do much except try and figure out the source of their next dose. Then again, Keith had money rolling in and never had to worry about how to afford his very expensive habit. And as they say, the dude has pumped so many foreign substances into his body that he’ll probably outlast the cockroaches. Crazy.
Photos courtesy of WENN
He must be Blohan’s inspiration.
People react differently to addictive drugs – in my family, for eg, my dad gave up smoking pretty effortlessly, and my brother really really struggled to. I suspect Richards is just one of those people who doesn’t get physically addicted that quickly, so he was better able to stop and start his use, and really control the damage he did to himself.
I REALLY don’t think he is being truthful in this article at all. I have never in my 20+ years with addicts seen someone use heroin as long as Keith has an not become addicted. It’s amazing that so many famous people who have had known substance abuse issues and who have been in and out of rehab declare that they now have only a glass of wine with dinner. I call BS.
How convenient for him. Wish it was the same for my best friend’s son who just choked to death on his own vomit after od’ing. I appreciate his candor, but part of me thinks he should stfu and not give any potential addicts any bright ideas. Very few people just walk away or “cut back” from their heroin use.
Exactly, terrible example. My stepson’s 17 year old half brother died of a drug overdose last summer .. He was smoking Fentanyl patches and he died in his sleep. It was aweful and his family is completely devastated. Drugs are not to be taken lightly.
That’s a common story around here too, especially recently, there have been a lot of OD deaths. Mostly people 25 years old and under. It’s tragic, and has terrible and lasting effects on the family and friends.
Keith is speaking about his own life and experiences, but I think those are extremely unique compared to those of the average heroin user.
Keith is full of it saying he never got addicted.
How is it possible he is still alive, is beyond my imagination. People at CERN should definetly study him.
I remember a shoot outside a club with him and Johnny Deep, Johnny was totally KO, and Keith was perfect.
And I know he has been a mess for nearly all his life (in the meantime he managed to write r’n’r history) but I adore this guy. It’s stronger than me.
he got something out of it -he looked well older than his current age for the last few decades.
some people don’t have addictive personalities, he must be one. some people can engage in unhealthy activities and live long lives with little suffering. unfortunately, many people that dabble don’t remain dabblers and many people that have unhealthy habits suffer the consequences.
must be nice to be KR.
What a man. Great interview, love that he tells it like it is for him and doesn’t dumb down or sanitise for the po-faced finger-wagging brigade.
Give me frank (and funny) interviews like this any day of the week over the nauseatingly cloying ‘like me like me!!’ PC crap dished out by so many celebs.
Keep on keeping it real, Keith. 😎
Yeah! Great interview. He tells it just as it is; not worried about how he comes across.
Yeah.Great interview. He tells it just as it is; not worried about how he comes across.
He must be one of a few exeptions then.
I don’t buy his story 100%, I have only his word for it but I’ll bett that 95% of all addicts won’t get creative by abusing drugs.
He makes it sound easy-as if you only have to want to stop and concentrate. Some manage and battle their demons every single day, some just can’t.
It ‘s enough that many people are addicted to “legal” drugs like alcohol, ciggs.,pills, sugar, no need to make drug abuse harmless.
If you have ever read anything on Keith,drug’s were just part of the business.I don’t ever think he stopped and thought wow I am a addict.It was just part of his life and he excepted it.He only stopped heroin because he was facing serious jail time and that was it.And as much as I hate heroin for some reason or another it just agreed with him.He looked hot in the seventies with the blond streak and shag and yes a few teeth were missing but he still looked hot.Read Up and Down With The Rolling Stones.I do believe it is written by Tony Sanchez his old drug supplier.A rock and roll classic book.That book is Keith Richard’s.
Jimmy Page says pretty much the same thing as Keith though maybe even stronger;
that he considered the drugs(heroin) to be an integral part of the whole creative process during the early/ mid 70’s.
Though I would agree, for 99% of the rest of the people, that just isn’t the case.
Good on him. His body. His business. End the war on drugs now. Then the millions of dollars saved can’t be spent on those who need help and those who don’t can be left alone.
He looks a hundred and ten & perenially filthy
There’s coke right in his nose in that smoke on the sidewalk shot! But whatever, I think his being an exception lends credence to the idea that being a hopeless addict is in your genes. Having an obsessive personality is not unusual, but having a grasp on self confidence along with it is. I come from a long line of obsessives: booze, food, smoking (i’ve gone through all three) and we all lived and quit our respective demons when it was ‘time’. I said I’d quit smoking at 30, and I did!
Oh, I do love me some Keith! Unique in everything he does.
Keith must have the internal tract of Godzilla. I’ve read his autobiography, and he mentioned how John Lennon used to go green and always left Keith’s house horizontal after sampling some of the stuff Keith uses.
As for funding the habit – back in the day, the UK’s national health service actually provided the stuff for free for addicts, in the hopes that it would keep them from being social problems (theft, AIDs etc.) and that controlling portions would help control the addictions as well as prevent more from happening. And the stuff the government gave out was the pure stuff, not mixed.
Needless to say, the scheme failed.
I really like your site. The tips you gave, along with the commentary I’ve read make me feel like it’s something that will really work. I do have a question though. I am a male (I like visiting these sites, because I think women give better beauty care tips than men do, even for men); besides the obvious, do you think any of these general-tips wont work for me, because I am a guy?