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The Rolling Stones are one of the most legendary rock and roll bands of all time and while front man Mick Jagger is the star, the real magic comes from Jagger’s relationship with guitarist and fellow songwriter Keith Richards. The two were seen as as legendary a duo as John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with the added bonus that they actually got along with each other. Jim Kerr, radio icon and host of the Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show on Q104.3, spoke with Curtis Sliwa and Larry Mendte in the Morning about Richards and how he managed to navigate a life of rock stardom and heavy substance abuse.
“I think a very important part of his life… when he married Patti Hansen [in 1983], a young woman from Staten Island, very grounded, they have two beautiful daughters,” Kerr told hosts Sliwa and Mendte. “He goes out to Staten Island regularly for family events… I think that really helped to anchor his life in a better way and he slowly weaned himself off of these things; he quit smoking in 2020, that was the last thing.”
Kerr believes the mindset of Richards also plays a key factor in his life: “In my dealings with him… he’s a joyful man; he loves what he does, he enjoys getting up in the morning.”
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