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Ronnie Wood

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Ronnie Wood

Ronald David "Ronnie" Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock guitarist and bassist best known as a member of The Jeff Beck Group, Faces, and The Rolling Stones. He is known for his characteristic slide guitar style, and also plays lap and pedal steel guitar.

Wood began his career in 1964, when he joined The Birds on guitar.[1] He then joined the mod group The Creation, but only remained with the group for a short time, and appeared on a small number of singles. Wood joined The Jeff Beck Group in 1968. They released two albums, Truth and Beck-Ola, which became moderate successes. The group split in 1970, and Wood departed along with lead vocalist Rod Stewart to join former Small Faces members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones in a new group, dubbed the Faces. The group, although relegated to "cult" status in the US, found great success in the UK and mainland Europe. The Faces released their debut album, First Step, in 1970. The group went on to release Long Player and A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse in 1971. Their last LP, entitled Ooh La La, was released in 1973. After the group split, Wood began several solo projects, eventually recording his first solo LP, I've Got My Own Album to Do, in 1974. The album featured former bandmate McLagan as well as Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, a longtime friend of Wood's. Richards soon invited Wood to join The Rolling Stones, after the departure of Mick Taylor. Wood joined in 1975, and has remained a member ever since.[1]

Besides I've Got My Own Album to Do, Wood has recorded several other solo efforts. Now Look was released in 1975, and peaked at number 118 on Billboard, and Wood collaborated with Ronnie Lane for the soundtrack album Mahoney's Last Stand. He released Gimme Some Neck in 1979, which hit number 45 in the US. 1234 was released in in 1981, peaking at number 164. He released Slide on This in 1992, and Not for Beginners came out in 2002.[1]

Music career

1960s

Wood began his career as a professional musician in 1964 as a guitarist with The Birds, an R&B band based in Yiewsley, West London. A popular live act with a considerable fan base, The Birds released several singles in the mid-60s;[2] Wood wrote or co-wrote nearly half the songs the group recorded.[3]

By 1967 the Birds had disbanded and Wood had joined the Jeff Beck Group as a bassist. Along with vocalist Rod Stewart, Wood did several tours with Beck, and recorded two albums: Truth in 1968 and Beck-Ola in 1969. In between Jeff Beck Group projects Wood also worked with The Creation.[4]

In 1969, after Steve Marriott left the Small Faces, Wood began working with the remaining members of that group, returning to his instrument of choice: the guitar. This line-up, plus Rod Stewart and ex-Bird Kim Gardner, teamed up with Wood's brother Art Wood in a formation called Quiet Melon, making a handful of recordings in May 1969.[4] After the Jeff Beck Group's fifth US tour in July, Wood and Stewart joined the former Small Faces full-time, and the band's name was changed to Faces.[5]

1970s

Wood (left) with Rod Stewart (right) onstage

In the first half of the 1970s, Faces released four studio albums and were among the top-grossing live acts of the period.[6] Besides his distinctive guitar work, Wood contributed harmonica, vocals and bass to the band's recordings, and co-wrote many of their songs, including "Stay With Me" and "Ooh La La". He also played on bandmate Stewart's first few solo albums, and is co-writer of the Rod Stewart classics "Gasoline Alley" and "Every Picture Tells a Story",[4] as well as several songs on Never a Dull Moment.

In 1972, Wood and Faces bassist Ronnie Lane composed the soundtrack to the film Mahoney's Last Stand;[4] the soundtrack, which was released as an LP in 1976, also features Faces bandmates Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones, along with contributions from Pete Townshend and Ric Grech. Wood also performed with Townshend, Grech, Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Eric Clapton at Clapton's Rainbow Concert in 1973.

In December 1973, Wood collaborated with Mick Jagger on the song "It's Only Rock'n Roll (But I Like It)".[7] Both Jagger and Keith Richards contributed to Wood's first solo album, I've Got My Own Album to Do, released in 1974.[4]

Wood (left) with Mick Jagger (right), 1975

Following Mick Taylor's departure from the Rolling Stones in December 1974, Wood participated in the band's March 1975 recording sessions for their forthcoming album Black and Blue.[8][9] Although still a member of the Faces, he toured North America with the Rolling Stones in 1975; the Faces announced their break-up in December of that year, and Wood was officially declared a member of the Rolling Stones in February 1976.[10]

In the Rolling Stones, Wood specializes in playing slide guitar, lap steel and pedal steel guitar, and contributes one half of the "ancient art of weaving", Keith Richards' term for a style of interchange between guitarists that blurs the boundaries between rhythm and lead.[11] He also occasionally plays bass guitar, as seen during 1975 concert performances of "Fingerprint File", when Mick Jagger played rhythm guitar and bassist Bill Wyman moved to synthesizer. The Rolling Stones single "Emotional Rescue" also features Wood on bass. He has been given credit as a co-writer for a dozen songs, including "Dance", "Black Limousine", "One Hit (to the Body)" and "Had It With You".

In 1975, Wood released his second solo album, Now Look; his third, Gimme Some Neck, came out in 1979. To promote it, Wood formed and toured with The New Barbarians, playing 20 concerts in Canada and the US in April/May and the Knebworth Festival in the UK in August.[12][13]

1980s

Throughout the 1980s, Wood played as a member of the Rolling Stones; continued his solo career, releasing the album 1234 in 1981; painted; and collaborated with a number of other artists, including Prince, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Ringo Starr and Aretha Franklin.

At the 1985 Live Aid Concert in Philadelphia, Wood along with Keith Richards performed in the penultimate set with Bob Dylan. During the performance of "Blowin' in the Wind", one of Dylan's guitar strings broke. Wood gave Dylan his guitar in order to keep the performance seamless, and played air guitar until a stagehand brought him a replacement.[14]

In 1988 Wood opened "Woody's on the Beach" in Miami, a club featuring a house band headed by Bobby Keys, hosting performances by local acts, friends of Wood's and occasionally Wood himself. The defunct hotel which housed the club allowed Wood to set up a VIP area upstairs, displaying Wood's artwork and providing private party areas. The club was popular, but was closed due to complaints from neighbours who found it too loud.[15]

1990s-2000s

Wood in Candlestick Park on tour with the Stones

In 1990 Wood was made a fully-fledged partner in the Rolling Stones' financial organization.[16] During the '90s the Rolling Stones released two studio albums and three concert albums, as well as touring in 1990, 1994–95 and 1997–99.[8]

In addition, Wood released his seventh solo album, Slide On This, in 1992; he toured to promote this album in North America and Japan. His appearance in 1993 with former bandmate Rod Stewart on MTV Unplugged resulted in a hit album entitled Unplugged...and Seated; the concert album that Wood released in 1993 from his own tour was called Slide On Live: Plugged In and Standing.[8]

Wood also contributed to Bo Diddley's 1996 album A Man Amongst Men, playing slide guitar on the tracks "Hey Baby", "A Man Amongst Men" and "Oops! Bo Diddley" and guitar on "I Can't Stand It".

Since 2000 Wood has continued to combine solo work with his Rolling Stones schedule. Following the 2001 release of his album Not For Beginners, Wood toured England and Ireland in 2001 and 2002 with his own group, The Ronnie Wood Band. The band included members of his own family, Slash and Andrea Corr. After the tour a DVD called Far East Man was released.

Wood toured with the Rolling Stones in 2002 and 2003; in 2004 he performed several one-off concerts and guest appearances, including a number of appearances with Rod Stewart. Later in the year the two expressed intentions of finishing the studio work on a collaborative album to be entitled You Strum and I'll Sing. In 2005, however, Wood was again busy with the Rolling Stones, recording their album A Bigger Bang and then embarking on a world tour that would continue through August 2007.[8]

In 2005 Wood launched his own record company, Wooden Records, which has released recordings by his daughter Leah, The New Barbarians and others.

File:RonWood.jpg
Wood with the Rolling Stones at Virginia Tech. (2005)

In November 2006, during a break in the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour, Wood played guitar on three tracks for British soul artist Beverley Knight's album Music City Soul, released in 2007.[8]

On 9 May 2009, Wood along with Red Hot Chili Peppers members Anthony Kiedis, Michael "Flea" Balzary, Chad Smith and musician Ivan Neville performed under the name, The Insects at the fifth annual MusiCares event honoring Kiedis[17].

On 11 August 2009 Wood joined Pearl Jam on the stage of Shepherd's Bush Empire in London for a performance of "All Along the Watchtower".[citation needed]

Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and Mick Hucknall at Faces reunion performance, 25 October 2009

On 25 October 2009, Wood, Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones joined forces for a Faces performance at London's Royal Albert Hall on behalf of the Performing Rights Society's Music Members' Benevolent Fund. Bill Wyman played bass and lead vocals were shared by several performers, notably Mick Hucknall.[18] Rod Stewart, who had earlier denied rumours of plans for a Faces reunion in 2009,[19] was not present.

On 2 November 2009 Wood was given an "Outstanding Contribution" award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour ceremony in London. Pete Townshend presented the award.[20] [21]

Slash mentioned on his blog that he is featured on Wood's upcoming album.

Personal life

Wood was born in Hillingdon, London, into a family of English "water gypsies" (river/canal barge operators, sometimes also called "bargees"); he has said that his generation was the first in the family to be born on dry land.[22] He grew up in Yiewsley and attended St Stephen's Primary School and St Martin's Church of England Secondary School, West Drayton.[23]

Both of his older brothers, Art and Ted, were graphic artists as well as musicians. Ted Wood died in 2004, and Art Wood in 2006.[24]

Wood has four children. Jesse is his son with his first wife, Krissy (née Findlay), a former model to whom he was married from 1971 to 1978; Krissy died in 2005. In 1985 Wood married his second wife, Jo Wood (née Karslake), mother of his daughter Leah and son Tyrone; her son Jamie from a previous relationship completes the family. Also a former model, Jo Wood has developed a successful line of organic beauty products.[25] The Woods own homes in Kingston Vale in Greater London and County Kildare, Ireland.[26]

Wood has been frank about his struggle with alcoholism; although reports between 2003 and 2006 had indicated that he had been sober since the Rolling Stones' 2002-03 tour, in June 2006 it was reported that Wood was entering rehab for a couple of weeks following a spell of increased alcohol abuse.[27][28] By July 2008, ITN news reported that Wood had checked himself into rehab a total of six times; the last time being before the wedding of his daughter Leah. He had plans once again for a seventh admission.[29]

In July 2008 he left his wife for Ekaterina Ivanova (variously reported to be between 18 and 21 years old at the time), whom he had met in a London club.[30] Wood checked into rehab again on 16 July 2008.[31][32] Jo Wood filed for divorce and was granted a decree nisi in November 2009.[33]

On 3 December 2009, Wood was arrested over assault "in connection with a domestic incident".[34] He was officially cautioned for this offence on 22 December 2009.[35] Following this incident, Wood and Ivanova parted ways, and Ivanova later asserted that at his worst Wood drunk up to a litre of spirits a day, took cocaine and chained smoked up to 50 cigarettes.[36]

Artwork

Wood is an accomplished artist. When he was a child his drawings were featured on the BBC television programme Sketch Club; he won one of that programme's competitions, an achievement he refers to as his "awakening to art".[37] He went on to train at the Ealing Art College, as both his brothers had.

Wood's paintings, drawings and prints frequently feature icons of popular culture and have been exhibited all over the world. Several of his paintings, including a work commissioned by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, are displayed at London's Drury Lane Theatre.[38] Art critic Brian Sewell has called Wood "an accomplished and respectable artist";[39] and the South Bank Show has devoted an entire programme to his artwork.[40] Liberty & Co. has produced a clothing line using fabrics printed with Wood's art.[41] Wood is also the co-owner (along with sons Jamie and Tyrone) of a London art gallery called Scream.[42]

Books, films & television appearances

To date, Wood has three books to his credit: a short collection of autobiographical anecdotes entitled The Works, illustrated with Wood's artwork, co-authored by Bill German and published in 1988; a limited-edition art book entitled Wood on Canvas: Every Picture Tells a Story, published in 1998; and his 2007 autobiography Ronnie, written in collaboration with his son in law Jack MacDonald and Jeffrey Robinson.

In addition to numerous Faces and Rolling Stones concert films, broadcasts and documentaries, Wood performed alongside The Band, Bob Dylan and many others in the finale of the documentary The Last Waltz, filmed in 1976.[43] He has made cameo appearances in feature films including The Deadly Bees (1967), The Wild Life (1984) and 9½ Weeks (1986), as well as on television programmes including The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978).[44][45] In October 2007 Wood appeared on the television motor show Top Gear, achieving a celebrity lap time of 1:49.4.[46]

Solo discography

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Prato, Greg. "Ron Wood". Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  2. ^ Wells, David (March 2007), "Bird Song", Record Collector, pp. 60–66
  3. ^ liner notes to The Collector's Guide to Rare British Birds, Deram Records, June 2005
  4. ^ a b c d e Zentgraf, Nico. "Woodworks 1957-1975". Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  5. ^ McLagan, Ian (2000). All the Rage (revised edition). Pan Books. pp. 151–153. ISBN 0-330-37637-X. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  6. ^ Wall, Mick (May 2007), "A Walk Through the Wood", Classic Rock, Future Publishing Ltd., pp. 58–63
  7. ^ Jagger, Mick (2003). According to the Rolling Stones. Chronicle Books. pp. 162–164. ISBN 0-8118-4060-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e Zentgraf, Nico. "The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 1962-2008". Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  9. ^ Wood, Ronnie (2007). Ronnie. Macmillan. pp. 110–112, pg. 115–116. ISBN 978-0-230-70131-1.
  10. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 137.
  11. ^ Jagger, Richards, Watts & Wood 2003. pg. 180.
  12. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 187-192.
  13. ^ McLagan 2000. pg. 294-300.
  14. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 251.
  15. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 262-263.
  16. ^ Jagger, Richards, Watts & Wood 2003. pg. 257.
  17. ^ Anthony Kiedis And Flea Discuss The Insects With Ronnie Wood And Ivan Neville
  18. ^ Fortnam, Ian (26 October 2009). "Holding Back The Jeers: Hucknall Sings With Faces". Classic Rock. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
  19. ^ Rod Stewart denies Faces reunion
  20. ^ "Rolling Stone Wood wins rock gong". BBC News. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  21. ^ "Gallery: Britian Rock Awards". Herald-Dispatch. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  22. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 3.
  23. ^ Wood 2007
  24. ^ Perrone, Pierre (November 6, 2006). "Obituary: Art Wood: Frontman of the Artwoods". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  25. ^ Landman, Beth (2007-05-17). "Secret Ingredients: Their Husbands". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  26. ^ Brown, James (2003-02-24). "Wood: How I Keep Rolling On". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  27. ^ DPA (2006-06-14). ""After the tree... it's rehab"". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
  28. ^ Larkin, Adrian (2006-06-20). ""Rolling Stones gig latest"". BBC 6. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
  29. ^ [ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX9DLocV46I "Ronnie Wood checks into rehab"]. ITN news agency. July 17, 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ Fox News
  31. ^ Brown, Jonathan (17 July 2008). "Ronnie Wood enters rehab for a seventh time". The Independent Music. London: independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  32. ^ "Ronnie Wood is admitted to rehab". BBC News. 2008-07-17. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  33. ^ "Jo Wood divorce from Rolling Stone Ronnie". thesun.co.uk. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  34. ^ "BBC News - Ronnie Wood arrested over assault". news.bbc.co.uk. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  35. ^ "BBC News - Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood cautioned for assault". news.bbc.co.uk. 2009-12-22. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  36. ^ "Ekaterina Ivanova claims Ronnie Wood gave her cocaine hours after they met". The Daily Mail. 2010-01-04. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  37. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 18-19.
  38. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 319-324.
  39. ^ "The Big Bang", The Big Issue, The Big Issue Company Ltd., p. 9, 20–26 August 2007
  40. ^ "The South Bank Show". Season 28. Episode 626. 2004-09-05. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  41. ^ "Fashion rocks: Ronnie Wood rolls out a range of prints based on his art". Mail Online. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  42. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 325.
  43. ^ The Band, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood et al. (1978). The Last Waltz (DVD released 2002). MGM Entertainment. {{cite AV media}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |authors= (help)
  44. ^ Wood 2007. pg. 180.
  45. ^ "Ron Wood (I)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  46. ^ "Celebrity Lap Times". Top Gear on BBC 2. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
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