Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood was born on the 1st of June 1947 in the London Borough of Hillingdon. He grew up in a family of English bargees who operated river and canal barges. His generation marked the first time his family was born on dry land instead of water. The young boy lived at 8 Whitehorn Avenue in Yiewsley during his childhood years. He attended St Stephen's Infant School before moving to St Matthew's Church of England Primary School. Later he studied at St Martin's C of E Secondary Modern School West Drayton. One of his early drawings was selected for BBC Sketch Club television programme. This selection served as his personal awakening to art. His elder brothers Art and Ted were also graphic artists and musicians. All three brothers eventually studied together at Ealing College of Art.
Wood began his professional music career in 1964 playing lead guitar with the Birds band. The group was based in Yiewsley Middlesex and became a popular live act with considerable fan base. He wrote or co-wrote nearly half the songs recorded by the Birds during their active period. By 1967 the Birds had disbanded and Wood briefly joined Santa Barbara Machine Head project. Jon Lord later became a Deep Purple co-founder within that brief collaboration. He then joined the Jeff Beck Group as both guitarist and bassist in 1967. The group released Truth album in 1968 followed by Beck-Ola in 1969. Between these projects Wood worked with the Creation band. The Jeff Beck Group split in 1969 after five US tours. Wood departed along with vocalist Rod Stewart to join former Small Faces members Ronnie Lane Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones. They formed a new group named Faces with Wood now primarily on lead guitar.
The Faces found great success in the UK and mainland Europe from their early days. They reached major fame only in the US during their last year of existence in 1975. A major tour of the United States occurred during that final year. Wood sang and co-wrote the title track from their final LP Ooh La La which was released in 1973. He also worked extensively on Rod Stewart's first few solo albums. During the summer of 1969 Stewart and Wood set the template for what would become Faces on An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down. This album was known as The Rod Stewart Album in the US market. The backing band included Ian McLagan Keith Emerson Micky Waller and guitarists Martin Pugh and Martin Quittenton. In 1972 Wood and Faces bassist Ronnie Lane composed the soundtrack to Mahoney's Last Stand film. The soundtrack LP was released in 1976 featuring contributions from Pete Townshend and Ric Grech. Wood performed at Clapton's Rainbow Concert in 1973 alongside Steve Winwood Jim Capaldi and Eric Clapton.
Following Mick Taylor's departure from the Rolling Stones in December 1974 Wood participated in March 1975 recording sessions for Black and Blue. Although still a member of Faces he toured North America with the Rolling Stones in 1975. Faces announced their break-up in December of that same year. Wood was officially declared a member of the Rolling Stones on the 23rd of April 1976. Within the band he plays slide guitar similar to how Brian Jones had done before him. He added lap steel and pedal steel guitar to the group's sound. His guitar interplay with Keith Richards often blurs boundaries between lead and rhythm roles. This practice is borrowed from Chicago Blues which Richards dubbed the ancient art of weaving. Wood also occasionally plays bass guitar during certain concert performances. The Rolling Stones' single Emotional Rescue features Wood on bass guitar. He has been credited as co-writer for over a dozen songs including Dance and Black Limousine. Wood became a fully-fledged partner in the Rolling Stones financial organisation in 1990.
Wood recorded his first solo LP I've Got My Own Album to Do in 1974 at his private studio basement called The Wick near London. The album featured bandmate McLagan former Beatle George Harrison and Keith Richards. Now Look was released in 1975 and peaked at No. 118 on Billboard charts. Gimme Some Neck came out in 1979 hitting No. 45 in the US market. To promote that album Wood formed and toured with the New Barbarians playing 20 concerts in Canada and the US. They performed at Knebworth Festival in the UK during August 1979. Slide on This was released in 1992 followed by Not for Beginners in 2002. I Feel Like Playing arrived in 2010 as his seventh solo effort. In 2005 Wood launched his own record company Wooden Records which released recordings by his daughter Leah and the New Barbarians. He toured England and Ireland in 2001 and 2002 with The Ronnie Wood Band including family members Slash Andrea Corr and Jesse Wood. A DVD called Far East Man was released after the tour featuring a song co-written by Ronnie Wood and George Harrison.
Wood is a well-known visual artist whose drawings were featured on BBC Sketch Club television programme when he was a child. He won one of that programme's competitions achieving what he calls his awakening to art. His paintings drawings and prints frequently feature icons of popular culture exhibited all over the world. He did cover artwork for Eric Clapton's 1988 box set Crossroads. Several paintings commissioned by Andrew Lloyd Webber are displayed at London's Drury Lane Theatre. Art critic Brian Sewell has called Wood an accomplished and respectable artist. The South Bank Show devoted an entire programme to his artwork. Wood maintained a long-standing relationship with San Francisco Art Exchange which first exhibited his work in 1987. He is also co-owner along with sons Jamie and Tyrone of a London art gallery called Scream. Three books to his credit include The Works published in 1988 and Wood on Canvas: Every Picture Tells a Story from 1998. His autobiography Ronnie was written in collaboration with Jack MacDonald and Jeffrey Robinson in 2007.
Wood has been frank about his struggle with alcoholism throughout public life. Reports between 2003 and 2006 indicated he had been sober since the Rolling Stones' 2002, 03 tour. In June 2006 it was reported that he entered rehab following increased alcohol abuse. By July 2008 ITN reported that Wood checked himself into rehab six times total. Plans existed for a seventh admission before his daughter Leah's wedding. He took up stamp collecting as part of his alcoholism rehabilitation efforts. In July 2008 he left his wife Jo Wood for Katia Ivanova whom he met in a London club. Wood filed for divorce which was granted in 2009 though they remained friends. On the 3rd of December 2009 Wood was arrested over assault in connection with domestic incident. He received caution for this offence on the 22nd of December 2009. Wood was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017 necessitating partial removal of one lung. He refused chemotherapy because he did not want to lose his hair. An aggressive small-cell cancer diagnosis came in 2020 after treatment at Royal Marsden Hospital west London. Doctors announced all-clear status by April 2021.
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Common questions
When was Ronnie Wood born and where did he grow up?
Ronald David Wood was born on the 1st of June 1947 in the London Borough of Hillingdon. He grew up at 8 Whitehorn Avenue in Yiewsley within a family of English bargees.
Which bands did Ronnie Wood play with before joining the Rolling Stones?
Wood played lead guitar for The Birds starting in 1964 and later joined the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. He formed the band Faces in 1969 with Rod Stewart and former Small Faces members before officially joining the Rolling Stones on the 23rd of April 1976.
What solo albums has Ronnie Wood released and when were they issued?
His first solo LP I've Got My Own Album to Do arrived in 1974 followed by Now Look in 1975 and Gimme Some Neck in 1979. Subsequent releases include Slide on This in 1992, Not for Beginners in 2002, and I Feel Like Playing in 2010.
How is Ronnie Wood's visual art career connected to his music work?
Wood won a competition on BBC Sketch Club as a child which served as his personal awakening to art. His paintings and prints featuring popular culture icons have been exhibited globally including cover artwork for Eric Clapton's 1988 box set Crossroads.
When did Ronnie Wood struggle with alcoholism and what health issues did he face?
Reports between 2003 and 2006 indicated he had been sober since the Rolling Stones' 2002, 03 tour but he entered rehab again in June 2006. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017 and received an aggressive small-cell cancer diagnosis in 2020 before doctors announced all-clear status by April 2021.