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Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards: "Life is too interesting to die!"

2022-05-21T05:40:13.600Z


Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards: "Life is too interesting to die!" Created: 05/21/2022, 07:30 By: Katja Kraft Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards inherited his sense of humor from his grandfather Gus. Good mood that is contagious. © Kevin Mazur The Rolling Stones are playing at the Munich Olympic Stadium as part of their European tour. In an interview, guitarist Keith Richards talk


Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards: "Life is too interesting to die!"

Created: 05/21/2022, 07:30

By: Katja Kraft

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards inherited his sense of humor from his grandfather Gus.

Good mood that is contagious.

© Kevin Mazur

The Rolling Stones are playing at the Munich Olympic Stadium as part of their European tour.

In an interview, guitarist Keith Richards talks about his love for the fans, a life of excess and Woodstock 2.0.

At 9:15 p.m. sharp, the phone rang.

“Is this Katja?” asks a familiar male voice.

"Is this Keith Richards?" one replies - and can't really believe it oneself.

When a living legend like the now 78-year-old guitarist for the Rolling Stones calls a landline at home – due to the time difference to the USA, where Richards lives, only late in the evening – then that was it with the professional journalistic distance.

Keith Richards on the line?

Of course you're nervous.

But only for exactly three seconds.

Because then the eternal rock star laughs his wonderfully dirty laugh for the first time in this telephone call.

He will do it many, many times more.

So engaging and charming that all excitement evaporates.

On June 5, the Rolling Stones will be playing at Munich's Olympic Stadium as part of their European tour.

In your autobiography you write that you once learned how to keep a band together in a choir.

So how do you keep a band together?

Over such a period – 60 years!

Keith Richards:

Yeah, that's a hell of a long time.

How do you do that?

I think the most important thing is that the people in the band want to stay together.

That helps!

We had our ups and downs, of course.

But in the end we always noticed that we are more creative together, that things are created that we would not have been able to do on our own.

And, of course, one has oneself about this – my God!

– six decades?!

just used to each other.

The special thing about being part of a well-rehearsed group is knowing the others so well that you can predict up to a certain point what is going to happen next.

That's what keeps you together as a band.

How man and woman?

Keith Richards:

Well, except for that not-so-minor thing that husband and wife share, which we didn't share... But yeah, it's kind of like marriage in a way.

And both here and there: Love it or leave it!

(Love it – or leave it, ed.)

You seem to get that attitude from your grandpa Gus.

That was very important to you.

He died at 83 - soon you will be that old yourself.

Do you notice that you resemble him today?

Keith Richards:

Oh my goodness, yeah, sometimes I say things just like him.

And then I think, "Now you sound like Gus!" The older I get, the more similarities I notice.

That's crazy.

But pretty crazy!

What did you learn from him that you would like to teach your own grandchildren today?

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Keith Richards:

To laugh!

Gus had a great sense of humor.

Although it has to be said that he has never sat down with me and deliberately given me life lessons.

We just spent a lot of time together, did things together.

And so I copied a lot.

I try to be that kind of grandfather too.

More of a friend than a teacher.

I hope I can do that!

But hey, I've got enough grandkids to practice with.

How many?

Keith Richards:

Six!

And what do you learn from them in turn?

Keith Richards:

They're all different ages, so I learn a lot of different things from them.

The oldest is 21 and the youngest is 11 months.

She was with us today.

A little angel!

Do you sing to her a lot?

Keith Richards:

She sings for me!

She is very charming and has a great voice.

Want to rock Munich on June 5, 2022: Mick Jagger (left) and Keith Richards are coming to the Munich Olympic Stadium with the Rolling Stones.

© Kevin Mazur

Speaking of singing, how much fun was performing on stage in the early years of The Rolling Stones?

With all the women rushing up to you?

Wasn't that just annoying – and scary?

Keith Richards:

When you look at the concert videos from back then, it can be really scary.

But in that moment it was just incredibly exhilarating.

And unexpected!

As a young guy, you don't expect to be mugged by hundreds of women.

It was so bizarre!

I got choked a couple of times - okay, that was a bit scary.

But otherwise I found it very, very funny.

How has your audience changed over the years?

Keith Richards:

That's amazing: I feel like it hasn't changed at all.

Apart from the early years with the crazy teenage girls, our audience was very consistent afterwards - and very mixed.

Our fans seem like old friends to me.

You miss her when you haven't seen her for a long time.

That's why I'm so looking forward to the European tour.

Back in the Days: (from left) Charlie Watts (1941-2021), Mick Taylor (left the Rolling Stones in 1974), Keith Richards and Mick Jagger at a press conference in 1973.

©Getty Images

And that's why you carry on - even though Charlie Watts died?

Keith Richards:

Our hearts are with everyone who has died.

Why are you still alive?

After all the excesses...

Keith Richards:

I know!

I ask myself the same thing.

Life's just too interesting to die.

Anything I wanted to do had to be done - I couldn't slack off.

And hey, there was just an awful lot of cocaine involved.

You immediately have Woodstock in mind... Do we need a new Woodstock?

A big music festival for peace?

Keith Richards:

That's not a bad idea.

In fact, it's a very good idea!

I wonder if that could be organized.

Set it up - and I'll be right there.

Because everyone needs to be reminded that we need each other.

Does music make the world a better place?

Keith Richards:

You can't make them any worse.

She changed your life too.

As a kid, you dreamed of transforming yourself into Captain Marvel like Billy Batson with a magic word - "Shazam!"

Is your guitar your magic word that turned you into a superhero?

Keith Richards:

That's a nice comparison.

Yes, I think I said "Shazam!" correctly once in my life - and it worked.

Everything I wished for happened to me.

I've been fortunate enough to make music with all the great artists I admired as a kid.

Indescribable!

So: lucky.

Incredible luck.

Was it luck - or hard work?

Keith Richards:

Hard work too.

But hard work is okay if you enjoy doing it.

Funnily enough, it's always afterwards that I realize how exhausting a day has been.

Then we stand in the studio and say: "That was hard work." But in the moment of creation it never feels like that.

What did you learn through work, i.e. through music?

Keith Richards:

Most importantly, it teaches you patience.

Because it takes patience to get to know the essence of music.

I didn't have patience as a kid.

I developed that through the music.

Second, it teaches you to be aware of things.

When you listen to music carefully, when you really devote yourself to it, your perspective expands.

Music is a precious medicine for the soul.

If you're feeling really bad: call me and I'll sing for you - that always helps!

So should everyone be encouraged to make music?

Keith Richards:

Definitely!

It doesn't matter how your voice sounds, whether you hit the right notes, whether you're in time.

You can always sing or drum or strum.

It is good for you!

Promised.

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2022-05-21

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