Keith Richards in History of Rock & Roll
Keith Richards (1943–) is a founding member and lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones, one of the most successful rock acts in history.
Richards and his schoolboy friend Mick Jagger founded the band in 1962, and have gone on to record dozens of albums, selling more than 200 million records worldwide and selling out huge stadium venues in concert tours that remain among the most successful of any rock act even today.
The Rolling Stones began as a band covering American rhythm and blues hits, but Richards and Jagger soon began writing their own material. Their songwriting partnership produced dozens of hits, starting with worldwide #1 single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in 1965. Richards has survived decades of struggles with drug abuse, earning him a reputation as one of the biggest outlaws in rock music.