KEITH RICHARDS
Keith Richards' Life is an epic account of the heyday of rock 'n' roll. The Daily Beast presents our speed read, from the drugs to the women to where their name comes from.

© Bent Rej,www.bentrej.com

Keith Richards and his trusted dog Ratbag during a visit to Hyde Park, circa 1965. "Keith had been given this dog named Ratbag in America as a puppy," said his friend Bill Wyman. "When Keith, Andrew, and I flew home from New York in November 1964, Keith smuggled the puppy through Customs underneath his coat."
© Bent Rej

During the Sticky Fingers sessions. " Sticky Fingers was never meant to be the title," Richards said of their album in 1971. "It's just what we called it while we were working on it. Usually though, the working titles stick."
© Peter Webb

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (with a Boston terrier on his lap) during the Beggars Banquet sessions, circa 1968. Photographer Michael Joseph was chosen by The Stones for this shoot because they had seen his extensive advertising portfolio.
© Michael Joseph / Raj Prem Collection

Keith Richards at Joshua Tree National Park. Actress Anita Pallenberg, at one point considered the sixth member of the Stones, can be seen in the background. The two of them would often accompany country musician Gram Parsons to the California desert. "It was a damn good feeling, for starters," Richards said of his trips to Joshua Tree. "There was a lot of stuff happening, and it gave me a sense of space. Eventually, I was so far in space, I was almost in the atmosphere."
© Michael Cooper / Raj Prem Collection

Keith Richards enjoys a solitary moment while watching the sunrise at Joshua Tree National Park.
© Michael Cooper / Raj Prem Collection

© Michael Cooper / Raj Prem Collection

At a Seattle airport during The Rolling Stones American Tour of 1972. "I saw Keith standing by the pillar and told him to lean against it," photographer Ethan Russell said. "I took two shots and then signaled for Mick to join him so I would have them both, the "Glimmer Twins." The Customs officer noticed and threatened to confiscate the film, so I stopped. I knew what I had and didn't want to lose it."
Photograph by Ethan Russell. © Ethan Russell. All rights reserved.

Richards pauses during a concert onstage, where band members enjoyed beers and Jack Daniel's.
Photograph by Ethan Russell. © Ethan Russell. All rights reserved.

Dominique Tarlé was given intimate access to the Rolling Stones during their recording of Exile on Main Street, and photographed Richards and Pallenberg, with their son, Marlon, on the streets of France.
© Dominique Tarle

Tarlé captured a shirtless Keith Richards and girlfriend Anita Pallenberg in the South of France.
© Dominique Tarle

A raw studio portrait of Richards covering his backside with the iconic Andy Warhol-designed Sticky Fingers cover, which is a close-up of a denim-clad crotch. This ironic shot was taken in 1971.
© David Montgomery
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.