“Keith Richards: UFOs Are Landing In My Garden” (1968)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on April 2, 2025

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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Keith Richards: UFOs are landing in my garden”

*From the Melody Maker, England, June 22 1968

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Keith Richards and the UFOs: When Aliens Crashed His 1968 Party

Keith Richards has seen a lot of wild things in his time, but in 1968, he claimed to have witnessed something truly out of this world—literally. It was June that year and the Melody Maker reported: “Keith Richards: UFOs are landing in my garden”. Oh yeah. According to the legendary guitarist, a UFO decided to drop by his garden at Redlands, his Sussex estate, like an uninvited guest at a rockstar afterparty.

Of course, this was the late ‘60s—a time of mind-expanding substances, free love, and, apparently, extraterrestrial house calls. At the time Keith, never one to shy away from the strange and surreal, always drawn to the bizarre and unconventional, swore he saw a flying saucer land right in his backyard. But was it truly a cosmic encounter, or just the result of an especially potent dose of whatever he and his crew were enjoying? The answer remains a mystery, open to interpretation.

Richards, ever the cool and collected rock ‘n’ roll outlaw, wasn’t the least bit fazed. In fact, he’s joked that UFOs have been keeping an eye on him for years. Given the lifestyle he was leading, you’d be forgiven for being a little skeptical. But hey, if aliens were going to land anywhere in the late ‘60s, Redlands would’ve been a top pick. Psychedelic music, endless parties, and a man who’s seemingly immortal? Sounds like the kind of place interstellar travelers would want to check out. Whether Keith actually had a close encounter or just one too many, one thing’s for sure—his stories are as legendary as his riffs.

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