Keith Richards

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Lore & Background

Richards' journey began in Dartford, where he grew up with a family deeply rooted in civic life; his paternal grandfather was a socialist and mayor of Walthamstow. His musical spark came from his maternal grandfather, Gus Dupree, who toured Britain with a jazz big band. In a defining childhood moment, Dupree teased the young Richards by placing a guitar on a high shelf he couldn't reach, promising it as a prize only if he could retrieve it. Richards devised ways to stack books and cushions to grab the instrument, earning what he called 'the prize of the century.' His grandfather then taught him his first tune, 'The Spanish Guitar,' while Richards listened to jazz legends like Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong at home. Despite his father's dismissal of this enthusiasm, Richards attended Sidcup Art College before meeting Jagger again on a train platform in October 1961, carrying albums by Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters that reignited their friendship.

In Their Own Story

The formation of the Rolling Stones was catalyzed when Brian Jones invited Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to the Bricklayers Arms pub. There, they met Ian Stewart, and by mid-1962, Richards had left art college to move into a London flat with Jagger and Jones. Manager Andrew Loog Oldham later advised Richards to drop the 's' from his surname, believing 'Keith Richard' looked more pop like singer Cliff Richard; this stage name was used until 1978 when he fully asserted his legal family name again. Onstage, Richards became known for a unique guitar interplay called 'the ancient art of weaving,' often playing both lead and rhythm parts simultaneously with fellow guitarists Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, or Ronnie Wood. In the studio, his versatility allowed him to record all guitar parts on tracks like 'Paint It Black' and 'Gimme Shelter.' He also developed a signature five-string open G tuning (GDGBD), inspired by banjo tuning, which he used prominently on hits like 'Honky Tonk Women' and 'Start Me Up,' often removing the lowest string to let the bass player cover those notes.

Reader's Guide

To understand Keith Richards is to understand his role as the band's rhythmic anchor. Unlike many groups where the drummer sets the pace, former bassist Bill Wyman and current guitarist Ronnie Wood noted that the Stones followed Richards because there was 'no way of not following' him. His vocal contributions are equally vital; he sings backing vocals on nearly every Rolling Stones album and takes lead on at least one track per concert, including songs like 'Happy,' 'Before They Make Me Run,' and 'Connection.' His influence extends beyond the band through his side project, The X-Pensive Winos, and his acting role as Captain Teague in two Pirates of the Caribbean films, a character directly inspired by himself. His legacy is cemented by inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, alongside the band's recognition by Rolling Stone magazine, which ranked him fourth among the best guitarists in 2011 and fifteenth in 2023.

Did You Know?

• Richards' maternal grandfather, Gus Dupree, gave him his first guitar only after Richards managed to reach it from a high shelf by stacking books and cushions.
• He plays a distinctive five-string open G tuning (GDGBD), often removing the lowest string because it 'gets in the way' of his playing style.
• Richards was advised by manager Andrew Loog Oldham to drop the 's' from his surname for pop appeal, using 'Keith Richard' until 1978 when he reverted to his legal name.
• His character Captain Teague in three Pirates of the Caribbean films was directly inspired by Richards himself, including the look and characterization.
• Rolling Stone magazine ranked him fourth on its list of 100 best guitarists in 2011 and fifteenth in 2023.

Origins and Musical Awakening

Born on December 18, 1943, at Livingston Hospital in Dartford, Kent, Keith Richards is the only child of Doris Maud Lydia Dupree and Herbert William Richards, a factory worker wounded during the Normandy invasion. His paternal grandparents, Ernie and Eliza Richards, were civic leaders credited with creating the Walthamstow Labour Party, with Eliza becoming mayor in 1941. However, his musical education came from his maternal grandfather, Augustus Theodore 'Gus' Dupree, a jazz bandleader. In a pivotal childhood event, Gus teased young Keith by placing a guitar on a shelf he could not reach, promising it to him only if he retrieved it. Through ingenuity involving stacked books and cushions, Richards secured the instrument, which his grandfather then taught him to play 'Malagueña' on. He practiced relentlessly at home, listening to recordings by Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and others. His father disparaged this musical enthusiasm, yet Richards found inspiration in Elvis's guitarist Scotty Moore.

The Formation of a Legend

Richards attended Wentworth Primary School with Mick Jagger until their families moved apart in 1954. From 1955 to 1959, he studied at Dartford Technical High School for Boys, where he sang as a boy soprano for Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey under choirmaster R. W. 'Jake' Clare. Expelled from Dartford Tech in 1959 for truancy, he transferred to Sidcup Art College, meeting Dick Taylor and devoting himself to playing guitar rather than his studies. By this time, Richards had mastered most of Chuck Berry's solos. He reunited with Jagger by chance on a train platform; Jagger carried mail-order albums from Chess Records featuring Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, revealing their shared interest in rhythm and blues. They joined Dick Taylor's band, Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys, which folded after Brian Jones invited them to the Bricklayers Arms pub to meet Ian Stewart. By mid-1962, Richards left college to move into a London flat with Jagger and Jones, as his parents' divorce estranged him from his father until 1982.

Signature Sound and Guitar Mastery

Richards plays both lead and rhythm guitar, often in the same song, creating the Rolling Stones' signature 'weaving' sound alongside Brian Jones (1962–1969), Mick Taylor (1969–1975), or Ronnie Wood (1975–present). In the studio, he frequently recorded all guitar parts on songs like 'Paint It Black,' 'Ruby Tuesday,' 'Sympathy for the Devil,' and 'Gimme Shelter.' His style relies on chords and rhythms rather than virtuosity, avoiding being the 'fastest gun in the west.' A defining element of his sound is his use of open tunings, particularly a five-string open G (GDGBD), inspired by banjo tuning. He often removes the lowest string to let the bassist cover those notes, as it 'gets in the way' of his playing. This tuning features prominently on 'Honky Tonk Women,' 'Brown Sugar,' and 'Start Me Up.' Richards considers acoustic guitar the basis of his playing, using it on tracks like 'Play with Fire,' 'Angie,' and overloaded cassette recordings for 'Street Fighting Man' and 'Jumpin' Jack Flash.'

Enduring Legacy and Cultural Impact

With a career spanning over six decades, Keith Richards is recognized as one of the most successful songwriters in history through his partnership with Mick Jagger. Rolling Stone magazine listed fourteen songs they wrote together on its '500 Greatest Songs of All Time' list. His individual accolades include being ranked fourth on their 2011 list of best guitarists and fifteenth in 2023. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 with the Rolling Stones. Beyond music, Richards fronted The X-Pensive Winos and portrayed Captain Teague in two Pirates of the Caribbean films, a character whose look and persona were inspired by him. Known for his countercultural image and notorious personal life involving drug use and romantic involvements, he remains an iconic figure who has defined the band's sound since its inception.