Ronnie Wood Reveals the Key to The Rolling Stones’ Longevity

The Rolling Stones formed way back in 1962. Sixty-plus years later, the legendary rock outfit is still going strong. Their last tour was in 2024, and they might just kick off another one soon. And there might be a secret to The Stones’ longevity, according to the band’s longtime guitarist, Ronnie Wood. That secret might just surprise even the most diehard Stones fan, too.

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How The Rolling Stones Have Lasted So Long, According to Ronnie Wood

The 77-year-old guitarist first joined The Rolling Stones back in 1975, quite a few years after they initially formed. Still, he’s as classic of a member as the rest of the band, considering how long Wood’s been part of the outfit. In a recent interview with The Daily Telegraph, Wood talked a bit about what it has been like as part of one of the most famous rock acts in the world. And surprisingly, he revealed what he believes to be the secret to The Rolling Stones’ longevity.

Can you guess what it is? I bet you can’t. Here’s the reveal: Ronnie Wood said that the members of the band don’t “over-familiarize” themselves with one another. Essentially, the group doesn’t really hang out outside of touring and recording.

“We’re not on the phone to each other every five minutes,” said Wood. “When we’re not touring we keep in touch, just to keep the feelers in each other’s camp, but we don’t over-familiarize. We run on faith and truth. We have faith in our music, and we always have hope that people will keep turning up, and sure enough they do.”

It’s fascinating to think that the glue that holds such a powerhouse rock band together is, quite literally, not talking to each other. It does make sense if you think about it. Plenty of other great rock bands from The Stones’ era have broken up because the members just got sick of each other.

The Rolling Stones are currently planning a new album, per that same recent interview with Wood. The band has also expressed interest in kicking off another tour, following the success of their 2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour.

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images

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