- Keith Richards, on writing his autobiography
“It’s the most difficult thing I’ve ever done,” Keith Richards tells the New York Times about his autobiography, “Life,” out next Tuesday. “I’d rather make 10 records.”
Known as much for his “lifestyle” as his music, many wondered if Keith would be able to recall much about his past and, apparently, he did, too. “I think my main concern at the beginning was whether my memory was really reliable,” says Richards. “Fox had to do a little sleuthing.” Fox is journalist and author James Fox, co-writer of “Life.”
Fox was impressed with Richards abilities on the book; the two sat together with copies of the manuscript while Fox read the book aloud. “What I couldn’t guess was that he’d be such a very good natural editor,” said Fox to the Times by e-mail. “He cut, accordingly, for pace and rhythm — a real musical cut.”
Keith revealed the original working title for the book was “My Life,” but he managed to edit even that. “I said ‘I tell you what, just cut off the ‘My,’ and you’ve got a title.”
As for his Stones legacy, and the working relationship with Mick Jagger (who was, reportedly, not too happy about his portrayal in the new book – see “Mick Jagger ‘a bit peeved’ about Keith Richards’ new book” here), Keith is pretty matter-of-fact about it all. “It’s bound to be somewhat rough, but the point is I’m trying to tell the story from Day 1 to now,” he says. “There’s the odd conflict here and there. But if you weigh it all out, those things count for nothing.”
Keith did give Jagger the courtesy of an advanced look at “Life,” so he’d know what was coming. “The important thing to me,” says Richards, “was that Mick had been through it and seen it and knew what was what.”
Following the book’s release, Keith will join Rolling Stone writer Anthony DeCurtis at the New York Public Library for a rare, public interview on October 29 (for details – including ticket information – see “Keith Richards at the New York Public Library October 29” here).
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