On his 28th birthday, Ronnie Wood walked onstage alongside Keith Richards as a fully fledged member of The Rolling Stones. Now 36 years later, as he turns 64, he remains an integral part on the band, while also juggling his own solo music and art career.Over the course of his career Wood has enjoyed being a fixture in two of the most influential British bands of all time – The Faces and The Rolling Stones. In the mid-60s he was the guitarist and principal songwriter for The Birds and briefly joined The Creation in their waning days before joining The Jeff Beck Group as bassist.
While recording with Beck, along with Rod Stewart and drummer Micky Waller, they released two albums before he and Stewart joined the remaining members of The Small Faces after Steve Marriott’s departure.
With Stewart, he rejuvenated the band, renamed The Faces, in a more arena rock direction and their four studio albums released in the early 70s remain relevant today.
However, it couldn’t last forever and 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 a number of cameos including one from good friend Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.
Richards soon invited Wood to join The Rolling Stones, after the departure of Mick Taylor where he has stayed ever since.
Besides I’ve Got My Own Album to Do, Wood has recorded several other solo efforts. Now Look was released in 1975. He released Gimme Some Neck in 1979, 1234 in 1981, Slide on This in 1992, Not for Beginners in 2002 and I Feel Like Playing in 2010.
Wood is also an accomplished artist and painter whose portraits and sketches have drawn praise from critics and fans alike.