Keith Richards is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer born on December 18, 1943, known for being one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones. He plays guitar, sings, and helps write songs for the band. Alongside Mick Jagger, he’s penned some of the most famous songs in music history.
Richards grew up in Dartford, Kent, where he went to school and later studied art. He met Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Ian Stewart, and Brian Jones, forming the Rolling Stones. Apart from playing guitar, Richards sometimes takes the lead vocals in their songs, like Happy, Before They Make Me Run, and Connection.
Outside of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards has his band called The X-Pensive Winos. He’s also appeared in movies notably playing Captain Teague in the Pirates of the Caribbean series a character inspired by his persona.
For his contributions to music Richards has received numerous accolades. He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine has recognized him as one of the greatest guitarists ranking him 4th in 2011 and 15th in 2023. Several songs he co-wrote with Jagger are considered among the greatest ever, appearing on the magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
| Full Name | Keith Richards |
| Date of Birth | December 18, 1943 |
| Place of Birth | Dartford, Kent, England |
| Occupation | Musician, Songwriter |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.74 m) |
| Spouse | Patti Hansen (m. 1983) |
| Children | Marlon Richards, Theodora Richards, Angela Richards, Alexandra Richards, Tara Richards |
| Net Worth | $500 Million |
Keith Richards’s Early Life and Education
Keith Richards was born on December 18, 1943, at Livingston Hospital in Dartford, Kent, England. His parents were Doris Maud Lydia and Herbert William Richards. His dad worked in a factory and got hurt during World War II. Richards’s grandparents on his dad’s side were big on socialism and local politics. They were mayors in Essex. His mom’s dad Augustus Theodore “Gus” Dupree played in a jazz band which got Richards into the guitar.
Richards and Mick Jagger went to the same primary school and lived near each other until they moved in 1954. Richards went to Dartford Technical High School but got kicked out for not showing up. He then went to Sidcup Art College, where he spent more time jamming with other students than studying. By this time, he was good at playing Chuck Berry’s guitar parts.
He bumped into Jagger again at a train station, and they bonded over their love for blues music. They started hanging out, along with their friend Dick Taylor and joined a band called Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys. That band didn’t last long, though, because they met Brian Jones and Ian Stewart, who were starting a new band called the Rolling Stones.
By 1962, Keith Richards had left art school to focus on music. He moved in with Jagger and Jones in London. His parents split up around the same time, and he stayed close to his mom, not talking to his dad until 1982.
When the Rolling Stones signed with Decca Records in 1963, their manager Andrew Loog Oldham decided to drop the “s” from Richards’s last name, thinking “Keith Richard” sounded more like a pop star. But in the late ’70s, Richards went back to using “Richards” with an “s” again.
Career
Keith Richards is a versatile musician known for his guitar skills in The Rolling Stones. He handles both lead and rhythm guitar sometimes playing all parts on famous songs like “Paint It Black” and “Sympathy for the Devil”. Besides guitar, he sings backup vocals and occasionally takes the lead such as on “Happy”.
Since Brian Jones left the band Richards and Mick Jagger have been the main songwriters and producers known as the Glimmer Twins. Despite being described as the band’s leader Richards sees himself more as someone who keeps things running smoothly.
Keith Richards’s guitar style is described as direct and focused on chords and rhythms rather than flashy solos. He often plays alongside another guitarist and rarely tours without one. His playing is influenced by Chuck Berry and he’s known for using unique guitar tunings like the open G tuning.
Acoustic guitar is fundamental to Richards’s approach even though he’s primarily known for electric guitar. He’s sung in various capacities in The Rolling Stones including lead vocals on songs like “Happy” and “You Got the Silver”.
Richards and Jagger started writing songs together in 1963 because their manager Andrew Loog Oldham believed their band The Rolling Stones shouldn’t rely on other songwriters. Their early collaborations were sung by different artists. Gene Pitney’s version of “That Girl Belongs to Yesterday” was their first big hit in the UK. They also had success with “As Tears Go By” written for Marianne Faithfull.
The Rolling Stones’ first major hit with a Jagger and Richards original was “The Last Time” in early 1965. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” became their first global number-one hit later that year. Richards has said the riff for “Satisfaction” came to him in a dream; he woke up just to record it on a cassette player next to his bed.
From their album “Aftermath” in 1966 onwards most Rolling Stones albums featured mainly songs by Jagger and Richards. Their music blends blues R&B rock and roll pop soul gospel and country with occasional dives into psychedelia and social commentary like Bob Dylan. Their later work from the 1970s onwards also mixed in funk disco reggae and punk influences.
Keith Richards has also written slower emotional songs like “You Got the Silver,” “Coming Down Again,” “All About You,” and “Slipping Away.” His songwriting partnership with Mick Jagger is considered one of the greatest in music history.
In his solo career, Keith Richards often shares songwriting credits with drummer and co-producer Steve Jordan believing two minds make for better music. He describes himself less as a creator and more like an antenna receiving songs rather than inventing them. In 1993, Richards was honored with induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Keith Richards has been involved in music production since the 1960s. He started as a producer and musical director on projects like the 1966 album Today’s Pop Symphony associated with his manager Andrew Loog Oldham. There’s some uncertainty about how much he contributed to that album.
On the Rolling Stones’ 1967 album, Their Satanic Majesties Request the whole band was credited as producers. But from 1974 onwards Richards and Mick Jagger often co-produced records together using the name “the Glimmer Twins” sometimes collaborating with other producers.
In early 1973, Jagger and Richards took an interest in the band Kracker and they arranged for the band’s second album to be distributed globally by Rolling Stones Records making Kracker the label’s first signing.
From the 1980s onwards Keith Richards has been credited as a producer or co-producer on many projects with artists like Aretha Franklin, Johnnie Johnson, and Ronnie Spector. He’s also released solo albums with his band the X-Pensive Winos starting with “Talk Is Cheap” in 1988 which achieved gold status. His solo work continued with albums like “Main Offender” in 1992 and “Crosseyed Heart” in 2015.
Outside of the Rolling Stones Richards has contributed to various recordings. In the 1970s, he collaborated with Ronnie Wood on his solo albums and performed with other artists like John Lennon and Eric Clapton. From the 1980s onwards he made guest appearances on albums by artists such as Tom Waits, Aretha Franklin, and Toots & the Maytals showcasing his versatility as a guitarist and vocalist.
Keith Richards has also released rare and unreleased recordings over the years showcasing his extensive musical output beyond what the Rolling Stones officially released.
Net Worth
Keith Richards has an estimated net worth of $500million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Keith Richards’s net worth comes from his long and successful career as the guitarist and co-founder of the Rolling Stones, one of the most famous rock bands in history. The band has sold hundreds of millions of albums worldwide, and their tours have generated massive revenue.
Besides earnings from album sales and concerts, Richards also makes money from songwriting royalties, as he co-wrote many of the band’s biggest hits with Mick Jagger.
Additionally, he has released solo albums and authored books, which have contributed to his wealth. Overall, his enduring presence in the music industry and the continued popularity of the Rolling Stones are the primary reasons for his substantial net worth.
Personal Life
Keith Richards had a long relationship with actress Anita Pallenberg from 1967 to 1979. They had two children together, a son named Marlon Leon Sundeep and a daughter named Angela. Sadly, their third child, Tara Jo Jo Gunne, passed away when he was just over two months old from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Richards was on tour at the time, which has haunted him since. He received criticism for performing that night after learning of the death, but he later explained it was his way of coping.
Before being with Richards, Pallenberg was involved with his Rolling Stones bandmate Brian Jones, which caused tension within the group.
Keith Richards met his wife model Patti Hansen in 1979 and they got married on his 40th birthday in 1983. They have two daughters Theodora Dupree and Alexandra Nicole. In 2014, Richards published a children’s book called “Gus and Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar” with Theodora inspired by his grandfather Theodore Augustus Dupree. He also has five grandchildren three from his son Marlon and two from his daughter Angela.
The media often describes Keith Richards and his bandmate Mick Jagger’s relationship as a mix of love and hate. Richards himself once said in an interview that their differences are like a family argument. He feels like he’s the one who has to speak up when things need to be said, even if it means yelling at Jagger. Richards even tried to convince Jagger to join him and Johnny Depp in a movie, but it didn’t work out.
Richards wrote an autobiography called “Life,” which came out in 2010. Before it was released, there was talk about how Richards called Jagger “unbearable” in the book and said their relationship had been strained for years. By 2015, Richards had softened his stance, saying that while Jagger might sometimes act like a snob, he still cares about him a lot. He believes that friends don’t have to be perfect.
Music journalist Nick Kent once described Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” echoing a famous phrase about the poet Lord Byron. Mick Jagger, Richards’ bandmate, believed that this wild image contributed to Richards’ struggles with addiction. Despite Richards’ efforts to shed this image over the years, some people still perceive him as a drug-addled rebel.
Keith Richards gained notoriety for his drug use during the late 1960s and 1970s, partly due to several run-ins with the law and his openness about his heroin and drug habits. He faced drug-related charges five times, with the first trial occurring in 1967 after a police raid on his estate in Sussex, England. Both Richards and Jagger were arrested, with Jagger receiving a three-month prison sentence for possession of amphetamines and Richards getting a one-year sentence for allowing cannabis use on his property. However, Richards’ conviction was later overturned due to lack of evidence.
In 1977, Keith Richards was arrested again in Toronto for possession of heroin with intent to traffic, a serious offense that could have led to a lengthy prison term. He stayed in Toronto with his family until he was permitted to enter the United States for heroin addiction treatment. The charge was eventually reduced to simple possession.
Despite his legal troubles, Richards continued his music career with the Rolling Stones, recording successful albums and touring extensively. In 1978, he pleaded guilty to heroin possession and was given a suspended sentence, probation, and ordered to undergo further addiction treatment. He also performed benefit concerts for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
In 2016, Keith Richards admitted to still occasionally using alcohol, hashish, and cannabis. However, by 2020, he had quit smoking cigarettes, as he revealed in 2022.
