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Rolling Stones quotes: Keith Richards on life off the road (2002)
KEITH RICHARDS OFF THE ROAD After the tour madness, Keith Richards swapped chaos for cozy: waking up with the kids, driving them to school, and getting lost in books or basement jam sessions. No routines, just wandering, cooking, messing up the kitchen, and stealing quiet moments on Long Island Sound. Once a week, he and Patti hit town for dinner and flowers—small rewards for a life that’s messy, musical, and unapologetically his own.
“I made a determined effort after the last tour to get up with the family. Which for me is a pretty impressive goal. But I did it – I’d get up at seven in the morning. After a few months, I was allowed to drive the kids to school… I read a lot. I might have a little sail around Long Island Sound if the weather is all right. I do a lot of recording in my basement – writing songs, keeping up to speed. I have no fixed routine. I wander about the house, wait for the maids to clean the kitchen, the fuck it all up again and do some frying. Patti and I go out once a week, if there’s something on in town – take the old lady out for dinner with a bunch of flowers, get the rewards.”
After the last tour Keith Richards made a deliberate choice: to immerse himself in the quiet rhythms of family life. For someone used to the chaos of the road, waking up at seven in the morning was no small feat—but he did it. Soon, he was entrusted with driving his children to school, a small but meaningful responsibility that grounded him. Days were filled with reading, spontaneous recording sessions in his basement, and occasional sailing trips on Long Island Sound when the weather cooperated. Life offstage, Keith realized, had its own rewards and rituals, even if they were unpolished and unpredictable.
Routines, Rewards, and Randomness
Keith thrives in a life without a fixed schedule. He wanders through the house, sometimes watching the maids clean the kitchen only to redo their work in his own chaotic way, and occasionally frying up a meal just because. Creativity flows freely in these moments of domestic anarchy, and the basement studio becomes a hub for songwriting and keeping musical skills sharp. Amid the disorder, there is intention: weekly outings with Patti, an evening in town, a bouquet of flowers, a shared dinner. These gestures, small as they might seem, are the milestones of life off the road.
For Richards, the off-tour life is a blend of freedom and responsibility, chaos and calm. It’s about cherishing family, indulging in hobbies, and finding inspiration in ordinary moments. It’s about showing up, even in the smallest ways, and allowing the ebb and flow of daily life to shape both personal and creative growth. Life between tours isn’t empty; it’s a rich landscape where music, love, and spontaneity intersect, giving even a rock legend space to simply be.
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