Kenneth Glad
The veteran musician remains active after more than six decades in rock music. In a new interview, he reflects on growing older, welcoming a new generation into his family and continuing to record with a band that has outlasted most of its peers.
He’s an original member of the Rolling Stones and has spent much of his life defying expectations. For decades, the guitarist was viewed as one of rock music’s great survivors, a reputation built as much on his turbulent lifestyle as on his achievements as a songwriter and performer.
Now 82 years old, Richards is entering another stage of life. In an interview with The Guardian, he revealed that he has recently become a great-grandfather, a development he greeted with characteristic humor.
“This is true! This is true!” he said, before describing himself as “a fantastic grandad.”
Health became strategy
The milestone arrives at a moment when Richards is also preparing for another major release with the Rolling Stones. More than 60 years after the group emerged from London’s blues scene, the band remains active in the studio and on the global music stage.
Richards told the newspaper that age has changed his perspective on health and endurance. Reflecting on his longevity, he said: “I tended to listen to my body just before it screamed for help.”
He quit smoking cigarettes six years ago and suggested that surviving into his eighties has involved learning when to slow down rather than constantly pushing forward.
The Rolling Stones occupy a unique place in music history. Alongside contemporaries such as The Beatles, they helped shape modern rock music and built a catalog that continues to influence artists across multiple generations.
Richards has remained central to that story, both as a guitarist and as one half of one of popular music’s most successful songwriting partnerships with Mick Jagger.
The band continues to move forward
The interview looked ahead to Foreign Tongues, a new Rolling Stones album that comes after Hackney Diamonds, the band’s 2023 return to original material and its first such release following the death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts in 2021.
Richards credited Jagger’s recent burst of creativity for helping maintain momentum: “Mick’s been very prolific lately.”
He also praised producer Andrew Watt, who has worked with a wide range of major artists in recent years. Richards described Watt as “a breath of fresh air and a kick up the ass,” highlighting the producer’s ability to keep sessions focused and productive.
The guitarist suggested that the famous tensions between himself and Jagger have become less significant with age. While disagreements were once a recurring feature of the band’s creative process, Richards says that the relationship has become calmer in recent years.
Old roots, new doubts
The conversation also touched on technology, an area where Richards remains openly skeptical. Discussing artificial intelligence, he said: “Do I fear for the future of music? I fear for the future of everything.”
Richards continues to draw inspiration from the foundations of rock and blues, and he spoke about the lasting influence of Chuck Berry, whom he has frequently cited as one of the musicians who shaped his approach to guitar and songwriting.
When asked whether thoughts of the Rolling Stones’ eventual end ever enter his mind, Richards acknowledged the possibility without dwelling on it. “By now I’m fully set on my path and I’m just going to see where it goes.”
For a musician whose career has stretched across seven decades, that outlook appears unchanged: Keep moving forward and let the future arrive when it arrives.
Sources: The Guardian interview with Keith Richards.
