" The Stones were pretty wild boys , especially Keith Richards , who played real dirty , Neanderthal guitar and was a walking human chemistry set . I remember arriving at our first hotel , in Kansas City , a Holiday Inn or a Marriott , and being taken to ' meet the boys . ' My tour guide was our ever - smiling , supremely likeable , and unflinchingly dedicated road manager , who'd been with the Eagles from the very beginning and who was good friends with many of the other road managers .The Stones kept to themselves usually , and we were not allowed on the top two floors they occupied , which could only be reached by elevator and were patrolled by private security guards . "
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" He led us down a corridor and into a large suite , its doors thrown open . From a distance it sounded like there was some enormous party going on , the music was so loud , but when we walked in , the room was empty except for a giant stereo system , about three feet tall and six feet wide , on casters . It could be wheeled into a room , opened up like a road case , and plugged in . There was a guitar amp built in , with two huge speakers , and it was cranking out some really heavy rock - and - roll track .
' Maybe he's in the bedroom , ' someone said , and we wandered into his bedroom and stared at the detritus of what obviously already been a good night -- Jack Daniel's bottles , beer bottles , clothes , and the residue of drugs .
' Nope , not here , ' Richie said , and we started to walk out .
Just then , out of the corner of my eye , I saw a man's foot sticking out of the open bathroom door . ' Jesus ! ' I said . I ran around to find what nobody wants to discover -- Keith Richards doing a very good impersonation of a corpse . His skin was gray , and he was completely motionless , facedown on the bathroom floor . I thought he was dead .
Barely batting an eye , the road manager grabbed the phone and called the tour doctors . Richie and I were unceremoniously ushered from the room and into the elevator . ' I am sure he is a goner , man , ' I told him , as we returned to our floor . ' I have only ever seen one person look like that before , and he was in a coffin . '
To my astonishment , there was no bulletin on the news that night , and the following evening , at the Kansas City Stadium , a very much alive Keith Richards , looking none the worse for his brush with death , pranced around the stage cranking out his raunchy rock - and - roll guitar for all he was worth . Now THAT is what I call stamina . "