Keith Richards blames being held back for rebellion

OHMYGOSSIP — Keith Richards blames his rebellious attitude on being held back at school when he was 13.

The Rolling Stones guitarist was put back a year when he was 13 because he had spent too much time being in choir and not enough on his studies, and felt the decision was very “unfair”.

Discussing the foundations of his rebellion, he told BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Desert Island Discs’: “The school said ‘You have to go down a year because you haven’t done your chemistry’.

“There was no fairness here. Suddenly you’re 13 and you’re down with the 12 year olds. So that’s when it started to ferment.”

The 71-year-old rocker also admitted his hell-raising image can be a hindrance, especially now he feels responsibility towards his family and is “evolving”.

He said: “The image is like a ball and chain. I do love old Keith, and I do love the way people cotton on to him. It’s one part of me and a lot of that’s in the past. I’m growing up, or rather evolving. I suppose with grandchildren I suddenly realise I’m in it for the longer haul.”

The ‘Brown Sugar’ hitmaker also spoke of his life-long passion for his instruments.

He said: “I used to sit in the back of these music stores for hours holding guitars and watching people repair things, the smell of glue. From a very early age, I was into the making of instruments, not just the playing of them.”