Bill Wyman Born October 24, 1936

Biography

Bill Wyman was just a little bit older than the rest of the band and always stood slightly apart from his fellow founders in The Rolling Stones. However, he was always, indisputably, an essential member of the band and a core part of the music they made and played.

Listen for yourself: his work in the rhythm section is audibly never less than professional, and sometimes quite outstanding.

Throughout a tough upbringing in South London, Bill’s obvious talent for music found expression in the church choir and organ loft. By the time he left school at 15 he was proficient on the piano and clarinet.

His audition for The Rolling Stones was a muted affair. As a married father of 26, with a full time job and very different cultural and stylistic values from the rest of the band (“a real London Ernie”, as Keith memorably described him), Bill Wyman was a very different kind of creature to the skinny, 20-year-old wannabe student/layabout musicians who were judging him.

On the other hand, he could play, and he could really play the bass guitar he’d modified himself, and - crucially - had his own amplifiers.

“They wanted me for my amps primarily,” Bill later admitted; but once he was in, although his 'senior' status meant he was always on the edges of the band, he was never anything other than The Rolling Stones bass player of choice, and thus a fully fledged member of the band.

With Charlie Watts he formed a rock-solid R ‘n’ B rhythm section that has never been equaled, although it has been responsible for spawning numerous variants, imitators and successors in modified and derivative genres.

By 1992, after 30 years of touring and recording, during which time the band played to millions of fans worldwide and sold tens of millions records, Bill Wyman made the decision to leave The Rolling Stones. Having achieved some minor success as a solo musician, he was keen to explore other musical opportunities, as well as develop other interests.

This is exactly what he has done. His Stones-themed Sticky Fingers restaurant in Kensington, London, continues to attract fans from all over the world, he has published seven books, including photography collections and a volume on archaeology and treasure hunting; and continues to tour annually with his Rhythm Kings band.

Bill Wyman is recognized as an elder statesman in the world of music. Never a performer in the same sense as a Mick Jagger or a Keith Richards, his work on the bass during his time with the band is recognized as having been absolutely core to the records and gigs to which he contributed.

Given that these performances are themselves recognized as fundamental models of excellence in the science and art of amplified, blues-based rock music, it’s a fair assessment to say that Bill Wyman is one of the great bass players of the modern era.