Keith Richards Apologizes To Mick Jagger

'Some parts of ['Life'] and some of the publicity really offended Mick,' says Keith Richards. 'And I regret that.'

Published by

March 16, 2012

Keith Richards

In a new interview conducted for an upcoming documentary chronicling the Rolling Stones’ 50-year career, Keith Richards addresses the derogatory comments he made about Mick Jagger in his 2010 memoir Life. Here is the exchange:

How have you both found surveying a journey that has already lasted 50 years? It must have been difficult at times, bearing in mind the nature of your relationship and especially the stories we have all heard about the tensions that resulted from the publication of Life.

Mick: Well, I’m glad you said 50 years as that sounds so much less than half a century (laughs).Â

Looking back at any career you are bound to recall both the highs and the lows.Â

In the 1980s for instance Keith and I were not communicating very well. I got very involved with the business side of the Stones, mainly because I felt no one else was interested, but it’s plain now from the book that Keith felt excluded, which is a pity. Time I reckon to move on.

Keith: Mick’s right. He and I have had conversations over the last year of a kind we have not had for an extremely long time and that has been incredibly important to me.

As far as the book goes, it was my story and it was very raw, as I meant it to be, but I know that some parts of it and some of the publicity really offended Mick and I regret that.

Rolling Stone