Grizzled, sinewy, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, 62, made it home to Connecticut in more or less one piece Monday after South Seas adventures worthy of a new song or two.
Though Richards claimed to be "feeling great, happy to be home and looking forward to getting back on the road with the Rolling Stones," the band announced today that the first 15 shows on their "A Bigger Bang" European Tour—from Barcelona, Spain on May 27 through to Zagreb, Croatia on July 5—have now been postponed. World tour concert promoters TNA/CPI asked ticket holders for the postponed shows to retain their tickets until the rescheduled dates are announced "in the next few days."
After falling from a Fiji coconut tree on vacation in April and being transported to New Zealand for hospital treatment, the legendary bon vivant seemed to miraculously recover before complaining of increasing headaches in early May. Doctors at the Ascot Hospital in Auckland detected a hemorrhage and thought it "prudent to move ahead with a small operation to remove the pressure" in Richards' brain on May 8—a procedure that was deemed a "complete success."
Alarmed Stones fans erupted in protest when the above photo was released, presuming as they did that one of the greatest rhythm guitarists in history had had his chording hand sewn onto his forehead. These fears—fortunately—proved unfounded.
Article comments
1 - Barry Stoller
The Stones have been a bore for ages, but there's something irresistibly likable about Richards (which is exceptionally rare in mega-celebrities).
2 - Eric Olsen
I agree Barry - he is truly goofy and rather unassuming for someone of his stature and net worth
3 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
You know how hard it is to get blood from a Stone?I'm surprised the operation to remove the pressure from hemorrhage was successful at all!
4 - Vern Halen
Keef's got blood???
5 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
well, not his original blood.
6 - Glen Boyd
Like I've always said about Keith...you can pump him full of enough drugs and alcohol to kill ten normal people. You can change his entire blood supply a few times. And I guess you can now add shoving him out of a tree to that list.
But take away his guitar? That would surely kill him.
-Glen
7 - Eric Olsen
yes! hence the alarm over the photo
8 - marti mobile AL
Just wondering what he was doing up in the palm tree?
9 - Eric Olsen
very good question - my guess is showing off for the wife
10 - Rebecca
Ah, but did he even know he we was in the palm tree?
11 - Eric Olsen
levitating?
12 - Rebecca
Could be. I think Keith has his own ideas about things and he's not always, shall we say, on the same planet as the rest of us. Rock on, Keith!