Keith Richards is 82, still rocking, and honestly defying everything music fans thought they knew about the rock-and-roll lifestyle. He recently shared the secret to his incredibly long life, proving that the Rolling Stones guitarist still has a few surprises left up his sleeve.
In an interview alongside bandmates Mick Jagger and Ron Wood, Richards shrugged off the usual questions about his wild past with his signature laugh. He admitted that his survival comes down to knowing exactly when to step back from the edge.
Keith Richards’ Secret to a Long Life is Surprisingly Simple
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Keith Richards revealed his one trick for a long life. It’s surprisingly simple.
“Healthy living,” Richards revealed. “Go to bed early.”
He added, “There’s nothing like it. That’s the formula: Be a good boy.”
Richard, Ron Wood, and Mick Jagger came together for an interview ahead of the release of their new studio album “Foreign Tongues.” They’re joined by new drummer Steve Jordan, who stepped in following the loss of original Rolling Stones member Charlie Watts back in 2021.
“It was Charlie Watts that did suggest to me that if ever I was gonna work with another drummer, it should be Steve Jordan,” Richards admitted. “I’m sure Charlie Watts is beaming down on us, so I feel good about that.”
The LP features famous contributors including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Paul McCartney. Richards revealed, “I’ve known Paul… well basically since The Beatles started, since we started. John [Lennon] and Paul [McCartney] did a couple of backup vocals for us way back when on We Love You and Dandelion, I think way back in like ’67 or something like that.”
He continued, “It’s great to have somebody from your own era, from way back when. He’s a lovely player and I’d like to do more with him.”
Keith Richards Admits That Writing Those Iconic Rolling Stones Songs Sometimes Doesn’t Come Easy
Over 60 years after the Rolling Stones first came together as a music group in London in 1962, Keith Richards admits that songwriting can still be a challenge. The group has penned some of the most iconic songs in rock history, such as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
He told Zane Lowe that one of the band’s new songs, “Some of Us,” took an extraordinarily long time to write, almost a decade. He said he had a similar experience with their 1981 hit, “Start Me Up.”
“That song had been hanging around in the head for years and years. I never quite got around to putting the finger on it,” he said. “Some songs are very elusive.”
“I remember ‘Start Me Up’ was 10 years from the writing of it to when it came out,” he said. “It’s like wine, good wine; some of it’s better aged. I remember the first hundred takes were reggae rhythm. It went through a lot of styles before we said, ‘Hey, why don’t we just play rock and roll?’”
Additionally, Richards to the Associated Press that another Rolling Stones tour isn’t off the table yet. It just won’t be on the heels of the album’s release, July 10.
“I mean, we can talk next year. Possibly,” the guitarist explained. “At the moment, we’re just sort of saying we finished the record; let’s do this. And so we’re basically considering what to do after, you know, pretty soon. But I don’t think… Not this year, anyway.”
