Keith Richards is one of the most iconic and influential guitarists in rock history, but he is also one of the most resilient. Despite his notorious lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, and his numerous health scares and injuries, he is still rocking at the age of 77.
However, even Richards is not immune to the effects of time and wear and tear on his body. In a recent interview with the BBC, he revealed that he suffers from arthritis in his fingers, but that it has not stopped him from playing the guitar.
He said, "Funnily enough, I've no doubt it has [affected my playing], but I don't have any pain, it's a sort of benign version. I think if I've slowed down a little bit it's probably due more to age.
"And also, I found that interesting, when I'm like, 'I can't quite do that anymore,' the guitar will show me there's another way of doing it. Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens.
"And so you're always learning. You never finish school, man."
Richards, who owns more than a thousand guitars, said that he is still fascinated by the instrument and its endless possibilities. He said, "The more you play it, the less you know it. It provides you with endless questions. You can never know the whole thing. It's impossible."
Richards also demonstrated his legendary riff-making skills on the new Rolling Stones album, ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ their first of original material since 2005's A Bigger Bang. The album will be released on October 20th, and will feature a Dolby Atmos mix done by Giles Martin, the son of Beatles producer George Martin.
Fans of Richards and the Stones can look forward to hearing his distinctive guitar sound on the new songs, as well as on their rescheduled No Filter tour, which will resume in May 2024.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]