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Many of you will be familiar with Keith Richards’ eccentric and compulsive behaviour. The guitarist became the archetypal rockstar not simply for his virtuosic fretwork but because of his penchant for intoxication and tendency to burst into wild fits of anger at a moment’s notice. Indeed, it was during one of these outbursts that Richards decided to obliterate one of his favourite guitars, the very same that he had relied upon for every live performance of ‘Shine A light’ during the Stones’ Totally Stripped tour.
So how did it happen? Well, according to Ronnie Wood’s ex-wife, Jo Wood, Richards blew a hole in his 1952 SJ Southern Jumbo Sunburst Acoustic Guitar after an argument with Ronnie Wood in 1995. In her memoir It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll: 30 Years Married To A Rolling Stone, Wood revealed that the argument started after the Stones returned to their Memphis hotel room to relax after a show.
Richards knew something was up immediately. Arriving at the hotel, he was greeted by the distant sound of Wood’s strumming. Already distinctly peeved, Richards stepped into the hotel room to find Wood playing Richards’ own Gibson Acoustic. The enraged musician promptly grabbed the instrument, covered it with a pillow, and fired a bullet into it. Wood, mouth agape, was lost for words.
That same guitar was later put up for auction. According to a statement detailing the instrument’s history, “Richards asked where Wood got the guitar from, and Wood said he borrowed it from Mick Jagger. Richards was so mad that they took his guitar that he grabbed it, sandwiched it between two pillows, took out a gun and shot it. The guitar not only still has the hole, but also has remnants from one of the foam pillows used to silence it.”
Jo Wood got to know Keith Richards at a particularly dark time in his life. In her memoir, the former model revealed that the first time she met the guitarist, he injected himself with enough drugs to kill a horse. Detailing their first meeting in a hotel in Paris, Jo Wood recalled: “Someone shoved past us into the room. Without saying a word, or even looking at me, this dark-haired bloke sat down on the tiny square of carpet and started rummaging in what looked like a doctor’s bag. Don’t take any notice of Keith,’ said Ronnie. ‘It’s been a long flight.'”
She continued: “Keith reached into his bag and took out a silver spoon, a bottle of pills and a lighter. In a matter of seconds, he’d crushed some of the pills with a bit of water, cooked them up, then filled a syringe and stabbed it straight through his shirt. A moment’s pause – then he looked up at me with a radiant smile, ‘Hello, my dear. I’ve heard so much about you!'”
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