Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will publish his first children’s book, “Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar”, on September 9.
Keith collaborated with his daughter, artist Theodora Richards, who provided illustrations for the project, which was inspired by a childhood experience shared in the guitarist’s 2010 New York Times best-selling memoir, “Life.”
As a boy, Keith was introduced to the joy of music through his granddad, Theodore Augustus Dupree, affectionately known as “Gus,” who was in a jazz big band and is the namesake of Keith’s daughter, Theodora Dupree Richards.
“Gus & Me” offers a rare and intimate look into the childhood of the legendary rocker; the unique autobiographical picture book honors the special bond between a grandfather and grandson and celebrates the artistic talents of the Richards family through the generations. It will also include selected photographs from the Richards family collection.
“I have just become a grandfather for the fifth time, so I know what I’m talking about,” says Keith. “The bond, the special bond, between kids and grandparents is unique and should be treasured. This is a story of one of those magical moments. May I be as great a grandfather as Gus was to me.”
“When I found out they wanted me to be a part of this project, my immediate instinct was to say yes, and I am so happy I did,” comments Theodora. “To be able to explore my father’s relationship with his grandfather was a gift in itself. The things that I’ve learnt during this whole process have just been life affirming.”
The story was written with Barnaby Harris and Bill Shapiro and will simultaneously release in hardcover and ebook, with the hardcover edition including an exclusive audio CD featuring bonus book content.
“Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar” can be pre-ordered via the Amazon link below.
Keith’s memoir, “Life”, debuted at No. 1 on the The New York Times non-fiction best sellers list and spent six weeks on the USA Today's best sellers' list, peaking at No. 3. “Life” received the 2011 Norman Mailer Prize for biography. The audiobook version won two prestigious Audie Awards for 2010, including Audiobook of the Year and Best Biography/Memoir; it was also voted Amazon’s No. 1 Audiobook of the Year for 2010.
Keith and the Rolling Stones are currently playing shows in the Far East as part of their 14 On Fire tour.
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