Rolling Ron
- Glynda Alves
Ah Ron Wood, the Rolling Stone that just won’t stop rolling. Born on June 1 in 1947, the English rocker is best known as the guitarist and bassist for popular band Faces and the legendary Rolling Stones.
Apart from that, Ron Wood has had an extensive music career and has even released several solo albums and contributed his talent to various artists, including Bo Diddley. To celebrate the guitarist’s birthday, we bring you reasons why Ron Wood should finally grow up as he turns 62.
A Great Career
Ron first began his career as a professional musician in 1964 as a guitarist with The Birds, an R&B band based in Yiewsley, West London. The band was great live and garnered an immense fan following. And besides lending his talent as a guitarist, Ron even co-wrote most of the Birds’ songs. By 1967, the Birds had disbanded and Wood had joined the Jeff Beck Group as a bassist, along with vocalist Rod Stewart.
But Ron’s major push into the big bad world of Rock N’ Roll took place after 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. And during this time, Woods even managed to have a solo career.
Throughout the 1980s, Wood played as a member of the Rolling Stones, continuing his solo career and releasing the album 1234 in 1981. He also painted and collaborated musically with a number of other artists, including Prince, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Ringo Starr and Aretha Franklin.
Ron Wood was already associated with the Rolling Stones, but it was only in 1990 that Wood was made a full fledged partner in the Rolling Stones' financial organisation.
After 2000, and a career spanning nearly four decades, the rocker toured with the Stones, released new albums and even had the time to contemplate a reunion with the surviving Faces.
Romancing Teenagers
With their skinny jeans, floppy hair and matching tight tees, Ron Wood and his new girlfriend could be mistaken for uber cool new age rockers. But once they turn around, the age difference is clear for everyone to see. His new arm candy is a young Kazakh-Russian girl named Ekaterina Ivanova, whom he met in a London club. The two have since been seen canoodling pretty much everywhere.
However, even though his new romance is frowned upon, Ron Wood has had a pretty stable love life in the past. He was married to Krissy Findlay from 1971-1978 and has a son named Jesse from that marriage. His next marriage in 1985 to Jo Wood Karslake turned out to last a little longer. During this time, he fathered two children – daughter Leah and son Tyrone. However, after nearly 25 years of wedded bliss, the couple has reportedly filed for divorce, thanks to Ron’s extra-circular activities.
After the high, the low
Let’s face it. When we have older hunks like Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford to look at, Ron Wood doesn’t quite look as picture perfect. The reason? Apart from the obvious lack of Botox, it is the fact that Ron Wood has dipped his mug into the alcohol barrel much too often.
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.
And most recently, Wood checked into rehab again on July 16, 2008, amid concerns that his wife was going to file for divorce. As of October 2008, Wood moved out of the family home in Ireland, filed for divorce and is seeking legal assistance in splitting up his estimated $ 200 million fortune.
Change is the Buzzword
In 1947, New York City, Edwin Land demonstrates the first "instant camera", the Polaroid Land Camera, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America. In 1955, West Germany became a sovereign state. In 1975, US President Gerald Ford survives a second assassination attempt. The world is changing, evolving… the least Ron Wood could do is get a new haircut! The aging (aged?) rocker has stuck to his same style and carefree ways for decades now and it makes people wonder if he has somehow found the elixir to life.
Tone it Down, you’re already a celebrity!
True, half-baked celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan had to flash their undies (or lack of them) to try to reach legendary status. But Ron Wood doesn’t have to resort to cheap tactics to get in the news. But sadly, over and over again, the rocker is seen doing something that would make the boldest of us blush.
Apart from dating a teenager, Ron has even blown 10,000 pounds on a weekend of fun while the rest of the world is battling the economic crunch. And this behaviour has even led to rumours that Ron could be axed from The Rolling Stones! All the band members have to do a compulsory pre-tour medical to make sure they can get insurance. Ronnie failed his medical for the 2002 - 2003 tour because he was drinking seven times the recommended number of alcohol units a week. He had to spend months drying out at a clinic in Arizona.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY WOODY!!! (Read 2,023 times)
