Who Are the Rolling Stones?
Formed in London, England, in 1962, The Rolling Stones that initially comprised of guitarist and original leader Brian Jones, pianist Ian Stewart, singer Mick Jagger, and guitarist Keith Richards. Ian Stewart was dismissed from the official formation by group manager Andrew Loog Oldham in May 1963 but continued to work with the group as road manager and pianist until his death in 1985. Jagger and Richards quickly formed a duet of songwriters and gradually took the helm of the group, in place of an increasingly erratic Brian Jones. Brian Jones chose the name of the band, which comes from a song by Muddy Waters, “Rollin’ Stone.”
(L-R) Musician Ronnie Wood, singer Mick Jagger, musicians Charlie Watts and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones perform during Desert Trip at the Empire Polo Field on October 14, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Jones died drowned in his pool in July 1969, shortly after he was laid off from the group. He was replaced by Mick Taylor, who toured and recorded five studio albums before leaving the Stones in 1974. Ronnie Wood, the former guitarist of Faces, took his place. Bill Wyman left the band in 1993. Bass-player Darryl Jones joined the Stones as well, but without becoming an official member.
The Rolling Stones have released 23 studio albums in the United Kingdom (25 in the United States), 32 compilations and eight live albums (9 in the United States). In 2012, the band sold more than 400 million records worldwide. They entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Queen of England knighted Mick Jagger in 2002.