Ronnie Wood

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Template:Guitarist infobox

Ronald David "Ronnie" Wood (born June 1, 1947 in Hillingdon, London) is an English rock guitarist and bassist best known as a member of The Rolling Stones, The Faces, and The Jeff Beck Group.

Career

1960s

Wood began his career in 1964 with the Birds, based in Yiewsley, Middlesex. By the late 1960s, he was part of The Creation, then joined the Jeff Beck Group as a bassist together with singer Rod Stewart. They split up, however, after recording Beck-Ola in 1969.

1970s

With Rod Stewart, Ronnie joined The Small Faces as a guitarist, shortly after leader Steve Marriott had left the group. The band's name soon was shortened to simply The Faces. Though mostly known in the United States as Rod Stewart's former backup band, the Faces were very successful in the UK, for a brief time even rivaling The Rolling Stones in popularity. They were a popular live act, and their music is recognized today as sharing an ethos with the future punk rock movement. The New York Dolls, The Jam, The Replacements, The Black Crowes, Pearl Jam, and Stereophonics all bear the group's influence. The Faces split up in 1975.

During the 1970s, Wood released several solo albums (Ive Got My Owm Album To Do - US2 #23, 1974); (Now Look - US #118, 1975); (Gimme Some Neck - US #45, 1979) and a collaboration with ex-Faces bandmate Ronnie Lane on the soundtrack to the film Mahoney's Last Stand (1976).

Following Mick Taylor's departure from the Rolling Stones in 1974, Wood performed with the group on its 1975 Tour of the Americas, then contributed to its 1976 album Black and Blue, before being ultimately announced as Taylor's replacement. Wood would become a major contributor to the band during the next 3 decades.

In the Rolling Stones, Wood specializes in playing slide guitar and pedal steel guitar, and contributes to one-half of the "ancient form of weaving". He also occasionally plays bass guitar, such as during 1975 concert performances of "Fingerprint File," when Mick Jagger played rhythm guitar and bassist Bill Wyman moved to synthesizer. Rolling Stones singles such "Emotional Rescue" also feature Wood on bass. He has been given credit as a cowriter for a dozen songs, including "Black Limousine", "Dance", "Pretty Beat Up" and "Had it with You".

1980s

Throughout the 1980s, Wood played as a member of the Rolling Stones, continued his solo career ('1234' charted at #164 on Billboard in 1981), painted, and collaborated with a number of other artists, including Prince, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley and Aretha Franklin.

In 1988 Ronnie opened "Woody's on the Beach," a one of a kind venue featuring a house band headed up by Bobby Keys, hosting a continuous stream of artist friends of Woody's, and providing a venue for local acts to perform original music with no pressure to play "cover" tunes. The stage was up close and personal with the entertainers literally feet away from the crowd. Ronnie played whenever he was in town, with friends, or the local band of the week. The defunct Hotel which housed the Club allowed for Woody to set up a world class backstage VIP area upstairs, displaying Woody's artworks, and providing a private party area for the Musicians and their guests, local nightclub VIPs, politicians, etc.

Although Woody's pioneered the club scene transitioning the neighborhood of South Beach (the Mariel boatlift had flooded the streets with all of Castro's misfits), and was highly successful, it was closed by Woody amidst a flury of complaints from the then predominantly geriatric neighbors who found it too loud, despite the wave of security (11 "locomotive shaped bouncers") and prosperity (expanded development of the areas tourism) it fostered.

At the Live Aid Concert in Philadelphia, Wood along with Keith Richards performed in the penultimate set with Bob Dylan. During the performance of "Blowin' in the Wind", Dylan broke a guitar string. Wood gave Dylan his guitar in order to keep the performance seamless, and even played air guitar until a stagehand brought him a replacement.

Recently

While also continuing as a member of the Rolling Stones, in 1993, Wood appeared with Rod Stewart on MTV's Unplugged, which resulted in a hit album. After the tour that Rod Stewart undertook across the U.S. in 2004 they expressed intentions to finish the studio work on their forthcoming album entitled I'll Strut, You'll Sing.

Wood toured England and Ireland in 2001 and 2002 with his own group, The Ronnie Wood Band. The band included members of his own family and such musicians as Slash and Andrea Corr. After the tour a DVD called "Far East Man" was released.

He continues to struggle with alcoholism, although reports between 2003 and 2006 had indicated that he had been clean since the Licks Tour of 2002 and 2003. In June 2006 it was reported that Wood was entering rehab for a couple of weeks following increased recent alcohol abuse. It has been announced that Wood will be featuring on four tracks on British soul diva, Beverley Knight's album, Music City Soul due for release on 9th April 2007. [1]

Wood's autobiography, written with American author Jeffrey Robinson, is tentatively called "Incredible Journey" and is due to be published worldwide by MacMillan at the end of 2007.

He is an accomplished artist. Provided the album cover drawing for the most recent release by Nick Beggs.

Personal

Ronnie Wood has four children. Jesse is his son with first wife Krissy (nee Findlay) 1971-1978, a former model who passed away June 11, 2005. He married second wife Jo (nee Howard), mother of his daughter Leah and son Tyrone in 1985; her son Jamie from a previous relationship completes the extended family. Also a former model, Jo Wood has developed a successful line of organic beauty products. The Woods currently live between homes in Richmond, Surrey and Clane, Ireland.[citation needed]

Solo discography

  • I've Got My Own Album To Do (1974)
  • Now Look (1975)
  • Mahoney´s Last Stand (1976) with Ronnie Lane
  • Gimme Some Neck (1979)
  • 1234 (1981)
  • Live At The Ritz (1988) with Bo Diddley
  • Slide On This (1992)
  • Slide On Live: Plugged In And Standing (1994)
  • Live & Eclectic (2000) (reissued in 2002 as Live at Electric Ladyland)
  • Not For Beginners (2002)
  • Ronnie Wood Anthology:The Essential Crossexion (2006)

External links

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