What would Keith Richards do_ - Jessica Pallington West [73]
July 20, 1979 – Seventeen-year-old shoots himself at Keith’s South Salem, New York, home.
Keith isn’t there, but Anita is. There are rumors of Russian roulette, teen sex orgies, drugs, and Anita being in bed with the boy when it happens. For weeks afterward, the tabloids swarm with stories about Anita’s forays into black magic and the house being New York State’s witch headquarters. It’s the final nail in the Keith-and-Anita coffin. Separation is imminent.
December 1979 – Release of Keith’s Christmas album, Run Rudolph Run.
December 1979 – Keith meets image-of-health fashion model Patti Hansen at his birthday party.
1980s – The Brenda Years and World War III.
Keith comes across a book by an author named Brenda Jagger at a Paris bookstore near the very same apartment he couldn’t find a few years earlier. He now refers to Mick as “Brenda.” Tensions between Keith and newly named Brenda get worse. Keith claims he’s gearing up to replace Brenda with Roger Daltrey.
June 23, 1980 – Emotional Rescue is released,
includes “All About You,” a Keith track about either Brenda or Anita.
July 1980 – Separation from Anita Pallenberg.
January 1981 – Eviction from New York apartment.
Keith is turned in by neighbors for loud music, specifically Hoagy Carmichael, in the early morning.
June 1981 – Goes backstage in New York City to greet his hero, Chuck Berry, who punches him and gives him a black eye.
August 30, 1981 – Tattoo You is released.
Songs include “Neighbors” (about his eviction) and “Start Me Up."
November 1981 – Performs with Muddy Waters onstage in Chicago along with Ron and Mick.
1982 – Reconciles with his father after two decades without contact.
June 1, 1982 – Still Life (live album) is released.
September 1, 1982 – Yet another major fire at the Redlands house.
1983 – Chuck Berry reportedly drops a lit match down Keith’s shirt at LAX airport.
“Every time him and me got in contact, whether it’s intentional or not, I end up wounded."
November 7, 1983 – Undercover is released,
includes Keith track “Wanna Hold You."
December 18, 1983 – Marries Patti Hansen on his fortieth birthday.
The fashion model from a religious Staten Island family is credited with helping get Keith off heroin. Says he is “not going to let this bitch go.” He sticks to his word.
1985 – Moves to Connecticut.
1985 – “Silver and Gold” recorded with U2.
March 18, 1985 – Keith’s daughter Theodora Dupree is born,
named for Keith’s grandpa Gus Dupree.
July 1985 – Live Aid; performs with Bob Dylan and Ron Wood.
They get drunk, Bob changes things at last minute, and the outcome is the worst live performance in television history by three people who should have known better. Ron Wood: “We came off looking like real idiots."
December 12, 1985 – Death of Ian Stewart
from massive heart attack at age forty-seven. It’s a terrible blow to Keith. “Who’s gonna tell us off now when we misbehave?"
1986 – Produces Aretha Franklin’s “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
1986 – Rumors surface of more serious tensions between Brenda and Keith.
January 23, 1986, Keith inducts Chuck Berry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
and gets away without a black eye or a lit match thrown down his shirt.
March 1986 – Release of album Dirty Work,
created during the peak of World War III. With Brenda gone much of the time, it’s mainly a Keith-written album. Due to absence and indifference of band during recording, Keith says it was recorded by the Biff Hitler Trio. Songs include the anti-Brenda “Had It with You."
June 28, 1986 – Keith’s daughter Alexandra Nicole is born.
October 1986 – Another Chuck Berry disaster.
Keith performs at his hero’s sixtieth birthday concert and helps produce the film documenting the event, but it doesn’t go smoothly. Berry keeps calling Keith “Jack,” has repeated verbal run-ins