Many aspiring young musicians dream of joining The Rolling Stones. After all, few names in rock music are more iconic than the Stones, who have been ambassadors for British rock and roll for over six decades. Many people do not get the opportunity to join the group. So the failure of Steve Marriott was all the more heartbreaking.
By the end of the 1960s, The Rolling Stones had solidified their position as one of the world’s most popular and infamous bands. From their humble blues rock beginnings, they had reached the top of the UK charts multiple times before exploring the world of psychedelia and the hippie counterculture of the USA. A lot of their success is attributed to the songwriting partnership of Jagger and Richards. But the rest of the group was just as essential. So, when guitarist Brian Jones left the group in 1969 the band was left with the difficult task of replacing him.
They quickly recruited session musician Mick Taylor, who proved himself to the point where The Stones invited him to join full-time. However, Jagger and Richards were never easy to get along with. Taylor eventually quit the band in 1974.
In need of yet another replacement guitarist, the Stones turned their attention to Steve Marriott’s whirring talent. Of course, Marriott was not some unknown session musician who got lucky, like Mick Taylor. By the mid-1970s, he had already established himself as an incredibly successful and beloved rockstar in his own right.
Steve Marriott, a mod subculture icon, rose to prominence as a founding member of The Small Faces and later co-founded Humble Pie. His status as a 1960s rock and roll legend made him appear to be a natural fit to take over as The Stones’ guitarist. But he fell short at the final hurdle. Richards had drafted him in because he desperately wanted Marriott to replace Taylor. He saw his talent as being extremely beneficial to the band’s sound. However, Mick Jagger vetoed the move, preventing the guitarist from officially joining the Stones.
Pam Marriott, the guitarist’s wife, discussed the audition process in All Too Beautiful, his official biography. According to Pam, the audition was going swimmingly before Marriott opened his mouth. “Steve told me […] ‘I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut.’ Keith wanted him in. But there was no way that once Steve opened his mouth, Mick would have him in the band.” Adding, “He knew Steve would never stay in the background.”
So, that was it. Marriott’s chance to join The Rolling Stones had passed, and the legendary Ronnie Wood quickly filled the vacancy. Marriott was not struggling after the rejection. He was able to live on the reputation he had gained during his time with the Faces and Humble Pie. Pam did mention, “They were the one band in the world that Steve would have loved to have been in. “He only wanted to work with Keith.”
