Longtime Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood took to his social media pages on Wednesday, January 17, to wish a Happy Birthday to the guy he replaced in the band, Mick Taylor. Taylor, who played with The Stones from 1969 to 1974, turned 75 on Wednesday.
Videos by American Songwriter
Wood posted a note that reads, “Wishing Mick Taylor a very happy birthday!😎🎸🎸🥳,” along with a gallery of photos of him and Taylor together.
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The Stones also wished Taylor a Happy Birthday with a post on their socials. The message was accompanied by an archival video clip of Taylor playing the song “All Down the Line” with the band in concert.
Taylor was just 20 years old when he replaced founding Rolling Stones member Brian Jones in ’69, and played on a slew of classic songs by the group. Before joining The Stones, he replaced Peter Green in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers after Green left that band to form Fleetwood Mac.
Wood Recalls How He Ended Up Replacing Taylor
Wood had been playing with Rod Stewart in the Faces when Taylor decided to leave The Stones. This past week, Wood shared an archival video clip from his U.K. TV program in which he recalled how he was asked to join The Stones.
“I was at [a] Robert Stigwood party, sitting between the two Micks, Mick Jagger and Mick Taylor, when [Taylor] leaned across me from the right,” Wood said. “He leaned over to [Jagger] and he said, ‘Mick, I’m leaving the band.’ … And I sort of leaned back to get out of the way, and Mick says, ‘You’re joking.’ He said, ‘No, I really am leaving the band,’ and he got up and kind of left.”
Wood explained that “it was an awkward atmosphere for a little bit,” and then Jagger said to him, “What am I going to do? Would you join?”
The guitarist said he told Jagger that he appreciated the offer but he didn’t want “to split the Faces up,” and Jagger said he didn’t want to do that either. Wood then suggested that Jagger should ring him up if he got desperate for a new guitarist.
Fast forward to a year later, Wood recalled, “I was ill in bed in L.A., and I got this phone call from Mick. He said, ‘I’m desperate! Will you come in [to the studio] and help!’ And I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’” That led to Wood joining The Stones in time to help record their 1976 album Black and Blue.
More About Mick Taylor
Meanwhile, Taylor collaborated with Wood several times over the years, including making contributions to three of Ronnie’s solo albums. He also plays on a track on Keith Richards 1988 debut solo album, Talk Is Cheap.
In 2012, Taylor rejoined The Rolling Stones as a special guest on their 50th anniversary tour. He generally would play a couple songs at each show, usually “Midnight Rambler” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
2024 Tour Plans
Meanwhile, as previously reported, The Rolling Stones are preparing to launch a 2024 North American tour in support of their latest album, Hackney Diamonds. The 19-date trek runs from an April 28 show in Houston through a July 17 concert in Santa Clara, California.
Tickets for the dates are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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