Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman ( born October 24, 1936 as William George Perks in Penge / Kent in the UK) is a British musician. He is best known as a member of the English rock group The Rolling Stones, whose bass player he was from 1962 to 1993.

Musical Career

During his military service (1955-1958) in the Royal Air Force in Lower Saxony Oldenburg Bill Wyman often heard radio stations that specifically stationed in Germany U.S. soldiers were playing music. His passion for blues and rock and roll it inspired. Along with Casey Jones, he founded a skiffle band in the fall of 1957. After his return to England and to the civil life - with Jobs in a butcher shop and in the Electrical Trade - In 1961 he was a member of the Cliftons, a rock ' n' roll and skiffle band. In December 1962, he was the bass player for the Rolling Stones, whose sound he helped to shape decisively. Although he also composed songs that were the by him also sung In Another Country and Downtown Suzie his only songs that were released on Rolling Stones albums ( Their Satanic Majesties Request and Metamorphosis ). In Another Country appeared in the U.S. as a single.

Wyman taught himself several instruments, such as the zither, guitar, vibraphone, glockenspiel, piano, synth, organ, percussion and cello. In the early recordings of the Rolling Stones in the studio and he also sang in the background. On stage, especially his tight rhythmic playing with drummer Charlie Watts was admired. On the U.S. tour in 1975 Bill Wyman played in the piece Fingerprint File on stage synthesizer, while the guitarist Ron Wood moved to the bass guitar. A recording of this piece from the concert in Toronto can be heard on the album Love You Live.

Together with Charlie Watts, Eric Clapton, Ian Stewart and Steve Winwood accompanied Wyman 1970 Howlin 'Wolf; be heard on the LP The London Howlin 'Wolf Session. In 1972, he played electric bass for Stephen Stills on the album Manassas.

1974 Bill Wyman released his first solo album, Monkey Grip; In 1976, Stone Alone and 1982 Bill Wyman. With (Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star Bill Wyman succeeded 1982, the leap into the international charts. The 1985 brought out with the band Willy and the Poor Boys album of the same name Bill was supported by numerous friends like Jimmy Page and Charlie Watts.

1992 Wyman announced that he would leave the Rolling Stones. But this announcement was not taken seriously by his colleagues. Keith Richards commented in typical fashion: " The Stones, leave only in the coffin - or you will be thrown out. " But Wyman impressed not, and he left the band in 1993.

Only in 1997 he moved back to rock music. With a few famous colleagues like Chris Rea, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Albert Lee, Georgie Fame, Peter Frampton and Gary Brooker he took under the band name Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings on songs. The diverse material covered the areas of jazz, swing, blues and rock. The first album, Struttin 'Our Stuff, was released in October 1997, the album was not very successful. ; the following two albums ( Anyway the Wind Blows in February 1999 and Groovin 'in May 2000) found more attention. Very good reviews there were for the concerts of the band; logically also appeared live albums under the title Bootleg Kings. In May 2001 he was the fourth album, the double CD Double Bill. This album placed in the British charts. Just For A Thrill was released in May 2004.

In an interview during the 2002 tour, he announced that this will probably be his last tour because he wanted to devote himself entirely to the future of his family is. However, his dream was once again a performance with the Rolling Stones.

In addition to his own music Bill Wyman also deals with the traditional blues music. To this end, he published Bill Wyman 's Blues Odyssey, a story of the blues, which is published as a book (2001), a CD and a DVD ( 2004).

In 2011, he took almost 20 years back music with the Rolling Stones, when he helped 4 Stu with these on a cover version of the Bob Dylan song Watching the river flow for Ben Waters ' album Boogie. Wyman, Jagger, Richards, Watts and Wood were for recording but not in the studio together.

At the two concerts at London's O2 Arena for the fifty-year band anniversary in November 2012 Wyman joined as Mick Taylor for some songs back on with the rest of the Rolling Stones. Wyman played bass in the songs Honky Tonk Women and It's Only Rock 'n' Roll. Since he was disappointed about him too short stint, he leaned in contrast to Mick Taylor from attending more performances.

Private

Bill Wyman married on Oct. 24, 1959 his then- girlfriend Diane. Their son Stephen was born on 29 March 1962. After divorcing Diane he was from 1989 for two years with the British singer Mandy Smith, a model, married. The relationship caused a sensation because the 33 years younger girl already ran as a 14- year-old with him. At the wedding she was 19 and his adult son served as best man. After the divorce, Wyman married a longtime friend.

His son Stephen Wyman then married in 1993 Patsy Smith, the 46- year-old mother of Bill was the wife Mandy Smith. Stephen was then 30 years old. So Bill was not only the father of his ex- mother in law, but also the step-grandfather of his former wife.

In addition to his work as a musician Bill Wyman was also active in an organization that it had taken on the task of combating the nerve disease multiple sclerosis. Against this background, in 1983 three concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall came into being, in which, among others, Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page were involved. In a different crew, Bill Wyman were nine more concerts in the U.S..

May 9, 1989 Bill Wyman opened in London, Sticky Fingers Café, a restaurant in the style of the Hard Rock Cafe chain. In England, he opened two more Sticky Fingers restaurants and began to write his autobiography.

Bill Wyman 's book author

He published a book on the works of his friend Marc Chagall, whom he met in 1971 during the Rolling Stones' " Exile" in southern France.

Since Bill Wyman from the beginning led to detailed diaries and archived lot of other stuff, he could for his memoir Stone Alone, in which he tells the story of the Rolling Stones concert in London's Hyde Park in July 1969, on a very extensive documentation fall back on. Soon, it deals with the further development of the band until the late 1980s. In addition to detailed descriptions of the band everyday life in the 1960s, Wyman also tells of his promiscuous life. In addition, he emphasizes his creative contributions to the songs of the Rolling Stones, where he takes the idea for the riffs of classic Paint It, Black and Jumpin 'Jack Flash claim for themselves. He expressed his bitterness over the fact that he has never contributed financially for his contributions.

Was published in 2001 in collaboration with Richard Havers, the 400 -page reference book BLUES - history, styles, musicians, songs & recordings, a comprehensive history of the blues, with over 700 photos, historical documents, record sleeves and labels, compiled from his meticulously manicured private archive.

In October 2002, his opulent photo book Bill Wyman 's Rolling Stones Story appeared with over 3000 pictures, letters, pictures of old tickets, posters and all kinds of more, also from his private archive. A lush compilation, traces the history of the Rolling Stones of the first gigs to the present day.

Discography

Solo albums

Solo albums - Expanded Edition

2006 and 2007 were re-released by Sanctuary Records all the above four solo albums. The covers have been revised compared to the original publications and show next to a small replica of their original covers a cigarette smoking Bill Wyman. The re-releases run is called The Bill Wyman Solo Collection - Expanded Edition, it there are several bonus tracks, mostly single- Edits or single mixes, and all the tracks are digitally remastered.

Willie & The Poor Boys

Bill Wyman 's Rhythm Kings

Bootleg Kings

Compilations

• 2006: A Stone Alone - Solo Anthology ( CD 1 Doppel-CD.: Bill Wyman's solo albums, CD 2: Bill Wyman Willie & The Poor Boys and the Kings Bootleg )
• 2006: Jive And Wail Jump - The Very Best Of Bill Wyman 's Bootleg Kings ( double CD)