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Rolling Stones On Video: Keith Richards remembers the day Chuck Berry punched him
As history has it, Chuck Berry punched Keith Richards in the face right after discovering him playing with his guitar. Berry, who passed away on March 18 2017 at the age of 90, was a major influence on Richards. However, his temper flared when he caught the Rolling Stones guitarist handling his guitar in his dressing room.
The infamous incident took place in 1981. Keith Richards, an avid fan of Chuck Berry, was backstage at one of Berry’s shows and, feeling inspired, began to playfully strum Berry’s guitar. However, Berry did not appreciate this gesture. Misinterpreting Keith’s actions, Berry promptly punched him in the face. Although the encounter was both surprising and painful for Richards, it has since become a legendary story in rock ‘n’ roll history.
Keith remembered “We saw him play in New York somewhere, and afterward I was backstage in his dressing room, where his guitar was lying in its case. I wanted to look, out of professional interest, and as I’m just plucking the strings, Chuck walked in and gave me this wallop to the frickin’ left eye. But I realised I was in the wrong. If I walked into my dressing room and saw somebody fiddling with my ax, it would be perfectly all right to sock ’em, you know? I just got caught.”
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