Ronnie Wood Born June 1, 1947

Biography

It wasn’t as if they didn’t already know him. Ronnie Wood was a face long before he was a Face, and although he'd come up through the mid-sixties by a less spectacular route than The Rolling Stones, he'd served a similarly thorough musical apprenticeship, notably his stints with The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces, in order to master his style.

Musicians are gregarious creatures, fond of variety, and the opportunity to play with different people, different songs - and none more so than Ronnie Wood. In December 1973 he collaborated with Mick Jagger on the song "It's Only Rock'n Roll (But I Like It)", and both Jagger and Keith Richards did sessions for Wood's own, first solo album, I've Got My Own Album to Do, in 1974.

Ronnie’s relationship with Keith, in particular, has been a tightly-woven tapestry of open-strung creativity, with the lead/rhythm split that led to Mick Taylor’s departure soon restored by the unique unity of two fine players jamming off each other as the mood and the music takes them.

Joining the band didn't slow Woody down or cramp his style in any way. He has continued to make his own records (13 to date), tour with his own bands (The New Barbarians and The Ronnie Wood Band) and to collaborate with anyone who asked - the list is extensive, and includes David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr and Aretha Franklin.

Then there was the club - Woody's on the Beach, in Miami - which was essentially a popular party space for Woody and friends to jam in, with legendary sax man and long-time Stones collaborator Bobby Keys fronting the house band. The VIP section upstairs housed a collection of Ronnie's paintings - he's also an accomplished, celebrated artist.

In this context it's easy to see that becoming a Rolling Stone was just another line or outlet for this extraordinarily talented and creative man.

Not that he was a full member of the band, commercially speaking, until 1990, when the others decided that he'd passed the (15 year) audition and signed him up as an equal partner. Now, at a mere 62 years old, he is the baby of the group, and despite some well-publicized personal problems, he continues to play, tour, paint and write with as much energy as ever.