Keith Richards facts: Rolling Stones guitarist's age, family, children, net worth and more revealed
10 September 2021, 15:10 | Updated: 19 January 2022, 17:05
As co-founder and lead guitarist of The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards has been one of the most recognisable and impactful icons in rock music for the past six decades.
Here's all you need to know about the legendary guitarist:
Who is Keith Richards?
As one of the most renowned and recognised 'hellraisers' in rock music for the best part of six decades, Keith Richards is the lead guitarist and founding member of iconic British band The Rolling Stones.
Together with The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards has sold an estimated 200 million albums worldwide.
Richards was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, both as a member of The Rolling Stones.
His partnership with Mick Jagger is considered to be one of the most successful in music history, winning three Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, numerous NME Awards and MTV Video Music Awards, and being ranked fourth by Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the Greatest Artists Of All Time.
Read more: Charlie Watts: Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards lead star-studded tributes after Rolling Stones drummer dies aged 80
Characterised by his growling voice and penchant for the finer things in life, Richards alongside Mick Jagger became the embodiment of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Keith Richards also appeared in three Pirates Of The Caribbean films playing Captain Teague, the father of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow in which Depp based his character's persona on.
How old is Keith Richards and where was he born?
Keith Richards was born in Dartford, Kent on 18th December 1943.
He celebrated his 78th birthday in 2021.
He is the only child of Doris Maud Lydia and Herbert William Richards, a factory worker who was wounded in the Second World War.
How did Keith Richards get his start in music?
Keith Richard's grandfather played in a jazz big band and bestowed him with his first guitar.
After playing along to the likes of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington as a child, it wasn't until much later that he developed an obsession with blues music that would define The Rolling Stones' earlier work.
Read more: Mick Jagger facts: Rolling Stones singer's age, family, children, net worth and more revealed
Both Richards and Mick Jagger attended Wentworth Primary School and were neighbours until the age of 11. The pair renewed their friendship several years later, bumping into Jagger who was holding several blues records which revealed a mutual interest in the blues.
They named The Rolling Stones after a Muddy Waters song, and began playing covers of their favourite blues tracks.
What are the Rolling Stones biggest songs?
The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up - Official Promo
- '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'
- 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'
- 'Paint It Black'
- 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'
- 'Sympathy For The Devil'
- 'It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)'
- 'Start Me Up'
- 'Gimme Shelter'
- 'Miss You'
- 'Brown Sugar'
Is Keith Richards married?
Keith Richards is married to former model and actress Patti Hansen. They were married in 1983 on Richards' 40th birthday, and remain married to this day.
It was the only time Richards has been married, despite being in a relationship with style icon and 'It Girl' Anita Pallenberg between 1967 and 1979.
Does Keith Richards have any children?
Keith Richards had two children, Marlon Leon Sundeep Richards and Dandelion Angela Richards, with Anita Pallenberg. He also has two daughters with Hansen, Theodora Dupree Richards and Alexandra Nicole Richards.
When Richards was in a relationship with Anita Pallenberg, they sadly lost their son Tara Jo Jo Gunne after two months to sudden infant death syndrome.
Richards also has five grandchildren, three from his son Marlon including Ella Richards (picture above) and two from his daughter Angela.
How much is Keith Richards worth?
The Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb LIVE Arizona '81 (Subtitulado)
Keith Richard's net worth is an estimated $340 million.
What else should we know about Keith Richards?
Johnny Depp & Keith Richards 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Interview
Together with Johnny Depp, Richards attempted to persuade Mick Jagger to also star in the Pirates Of The Caribbean series to which he declined.
Having been arrested for drug-related crimes five times in his life, and being both open and frank about his drug use, this helped cultivate Richards' now-iconic 'hellraiser' image.
Read more: Watch The Trailer For Keith Richards Documentary
Keith Richards played a one-off show as The Dirty Mac with John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix's drummer Mitch Mitchell for The Rolling Stones Rock 'n' Roll Circus in 1968, the only time he would appear on stage with Lennon.
In November 2016, perhaps customarily, Richards declared "I'd like to croak magnificently, onstage" when asked about retirement.
