Before adopting a mostly clean and sober lifestyle in recent years, Keith Richards’ substance abuse was so legendary that you could practically write a book of his many, increasingly insane escapades. But at 82, Richards is still not only alive, but actively making music, talking up future albums, and plotting more time on the road. So what, exactly, is keeping him going? Surely there’s not enough virgin’s blood on the planet, right?
Well, now we have an answer directly from Richards himself. In a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Richards (alongside his The Rolling Stones cohorts Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood in separate chats) made the secret to his (near) immortality quite plain:
“Healthy living,” Richards said. “Go to bed early,” he responded. “There’s nothing like it. That’s the formula: Be a good boy.”
Do we wish it involved, say, some Sumatran fertility god, or even a steampunk rejuvenation cycle? Sure. But it seems that sobriety is something that Richards has simply taken very seriously. So much so that the Stones cancelled a stadium tour slated for earlier this year because of Richards’ personal health. Still, if rest actually is the secret, Richards’ 8,000-square-foot colonial mansion in Weston, Connecticut likely gives him a huge leg up.
We’re not sure how much rest Richards and company will be getting once the Stones drop their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, later this week (July 10th). Especially when the band has already made clear that they intend to tour to some extent in 2027. Then, of course, Richards is already looking forward to recording album No. 26 at some as-yet-undetermined point in the future.
“Anytime the whistle blows, I’m there and I’m up for it,” Richards told Lowe. “Always got a few songs in the bag. I’m sure Mick does, he never stops. Making, that’s what I do, so you’re automatically thinking about what you’re going to do next. So it’s sort of there in the making.”
Check out the Stones’ entire interview below.
