The Rolling Stones….man, when I think of Bone Daddy life of 71 years….and having been an active part of the Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll generation…..as he is more than just a graduate of the School of The Stones….he has seen them live on three different occasions….so I thought it might be nice to give you some background on the early days of rocks most long lasting and significant group ever to grace a live stage.
Keith Richards and Mick Jagger became childhood friends and classmates in 1950 in Dartford, Kent….before the Jagger family moved to Wilmington….which was five miles (8.05 km) away, in 1954….and In the mid-1950’s….Jagger formed a garage band with his friend Dick Taylor…..as the group mainly played material by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley…..when in 1961, Jagger ran into Richards again at th Dartford railway station….while carrying Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records revealed a common interest….and a historic musical partnership began shortly there afterwards. Richards joined Jagger and Taylor at frequent meetings at Jagger’s house and soon thereafter by Alan Etherington and Bob Beckwith…..as the quintet called themselves the Blues Boys.
In March 1962, the Blues Boys read about the Ealing Jazz Club in Jazz News newspaper….which mentioned Alexis Korner’s rhythm and blues band Blues Incorporated. The group sent a tape of their best recordings to Korner….who was impressed…..so, on April 7,1962….Korner visited Ealing Jazz Club, where they met the members of Blues Incorporated….who included the slide guitarist Brian Jones….the keyboardist Ian Stewart….and the drummer Charlie Watts. After a meeting with Korner, Jagger and Richards started jamming with the group.
Jones, no longer in a band, advertised for bandmates in Jazz Weekly, while Stewart found them a practice space; together they decided to start a band playing Chicago blues. Soon after, Jagger, Taylor and Richards left Blues Incorporated to join Jones and Stewart. At the first rehearsal were also the guitarist Geoff Bradford and the vocalist Brian Knight, both of whom decided not to join the band, citing objections to playing the Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley songs preferred by Jagger and Richards. In June 1962 the line-up of Jagger, Richards, Jones, Stewart and Taylor was completed with the addition of the drummer Tony Chapman….and according to Richards….Jones named the band during a phone call to Jazz News…..when he was asked by a journalist for the band’s name…..Jones says he saw a Muddy Waters LP lying on the floor…..with one of the tracks being called “Rollin’ Stone”…..and that folks is how The Stones came to be.
