Keith Richards joined The Rolling Stones when he was 19 years old. He spent his entire adult life with one of the most visceral and enduring rock ‘n’ roll bands the world ever witnessed. As a result, it comes as no surprise that he has a very distinct and unwavering worldview. This extends to his unconventional musical choices.
According to Richards, a rock ‘n’ roll band does not have to be made up of members. One person with enough talent and attitude can form a band on their own. So, when asked to name his favourite groups of all time, the Stones frontman simply slurred, “I always like Steve Marriott.”
The Essex-born singer, songwriter, and guitarist died in 1991 at the age of 44. He was a co-founder of the classic rock ‘n’ roll bands Small Faces and Humble Pie. And, to be fair to Keef, he did bring two massive facets to the table rather than just one, with Ozzy Osbourne naming him one of the top five greatest singers of all time, and that’s before you get to his shredding guitar power.
Richards was clearly fond of everything he created. “You know, The Small Faces and then he had Humble Pie,” he went on to say. “I’m not going to say Led Zeppelin, The Who, or Black Sabbath are my favourites; that would be a lie. They are all good, I know them, they are all good players, and everything,” before adding, curiously, “but not as a band.” When you think about it, that is possibly the highest compliment anyone has ever given Marriott. In essence, he is saying that he alone is more of a band than Led Zeppelin.
Despite his tragically brief life, Marriott was aware of the impact he had on Richards. “He loves me. He has always been on my side. In an interview from 1983, Marriott said, “He got me out of the hole.” “The only people I keep in touch with are Keith Richards and people like that ’cause they’re the only people I want to talk to.”
Richards assisted him in his time of despair, guiding him to sobriety and allowing him to record a few more albums before dying in a house fire. This was thought to be caused by him lighting a cigarette in bed while drunk, jet-lagged, and falling asleep. Despite his untimely death, he remains one of the genre’s greats.
In 1974, he came close to joining the Rolling Stones. He was Richards’ first choice before Ronnie Wood, but his audition went horribly wrong. “Steve told me, ‘I was good and stood at the back for a while, but then Keith would hit this lick, and I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut’,” Pam Marriott told the biography All Too Beautiful.
Continuing, “Keith wanted him in, but once Steve opened his mouth, Mick wouldn’t let him join the band. He knew Steve would never remain in the background. They were the only band in the world that Steve would have loved to be in. “He only wanted to work with Keith.” Keith seemed to have enjoyed working with him as well.
