Mick Jagger 'Unbearable' Says Keith Richards
LONDON (CBS) - What's the old saying, familiarity breeds contempt? Well, after nearly 50 years as bandmates, that axiom certainly appears to hold true for the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.
In an upcoming memoir Richards wastes no effort hiding his distaste for the band's frontman, calling Jagger "unbearable," though he also laments their fractured friendship.
"It was the beginning of the Eighties when Mick started to become unbearable," Richards writes in "Life," which is due to be published Oct. 26.
"Sometimes I think: 'I miss my friend,"' he adds later. "I wonder: 'where did he go?"'
In an interview with The Times of London, Richards continued to throw a few jabs at Jagger, referring to him as "Her Majesty" and "Brenda."
But any personal ill will between the two doesn't seem likely to affect Stones' fans - Richards said he's talked with Jagger about launching the band's first tour since 2007 and thinks "it's going to happen."
"We've had our beefs but, hey, who doesn't? You try and keep something together for 50 years," he told the Times.
Richards said Jagger read the book and only wanted one thing omitted - mention of him using a voice coach - but Richards refused.
Of course, Jagger isn't the only rock legend to get a less than flattering portrayal in the book. The Beatles' John Lennon, writes Richards, was a "silly sod, in many ways."
"I don't think John ever left my house, except horizontally," he continues, describing how he once found the Beatle lying in his bathroom, mumbling "don't move me -- these tiles are beautiful."
In The Times interview, Richards also opened up about his legendary substance abuse, saying he quit taking drugs in 2006 after a fall in Fiji resulted in the star having brain surgery.
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