Richards, Keith (1943-…), is an English guitarist , singer, and composer who became famous as a member of the Rolling Stones rock band. Richards ranks as one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock music. He cofounded the Rolling Stones in 1962 with singer Mick Jagger. The two have composed many of the group’s hits, including ”(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965), “Get Off My Cloud” (1965), “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (1968), “Sympathy for the Devil” (1968), and “Honky Tonk Women” (1969). See Rolling Stones .
Keith Richards was born on Dec. 18, 1943, at Dartford in Kent, England. He sang in a choir and began learning guitar as a child. Richards met Jagger in 1951, while attending primary school. Like Jagger, Richards was strongly influenced by the African American musicians Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley. From 1959 to 1962, Richards attended Sidcup Art College in London. In 1961, Richards encountered Jagger again, who was playing in a blues band with one of Richards’s fellow students. Richards soon joined the band. The group later evolved into the Rolling Stones. Richards and Jagger named the band after a song composed by Waters.
The Rolling Stones issued their first album in 1964. By the late 1960’s, they rivaled the Beatles as the world’s most popular rock band. The group has continued to record and tour, making it one of the longest-running and most stable bands in rock music history.
In 1979, Richards toured with a group called the New Barbarians. It featured Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood and other musicians. Richards also recorded the solo albums Talk is Cheap (1988) and Main Offender (1992). On these albums, Richards was backed by a group of musician friends called the X-Pensive Winos. Richards also toured with the group. Richards released his third solo album, Crosseyed Heart, in 2015.
Richards has played small acting parts in several motion pictures. The most notable of these are Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
Richards was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as a member of the Rolling Stones. He wrote a best-selling memoir, Life (2010). He also wrote a children’s book, Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar (2014), illustrated by his daughter Theodora Richards.
See also Beatles ; Jagger, Mick ; Rock music (The Rolling Stones) ; Rolling Stones .
