Ronnie Wood - 'Ronnie: The Autobiography'

Seasoned veteran rocker of The Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood reveals seemingly everything in his 2007 autobiography, entitled 'Ronnie: The Autobiography'... and I say seemingly everything because this book doesn't really touch on Wood's intense difficulties with alcohol, though it is mentioned briefly and sparingly throughout.

'Ronnie: The Autobiography' was fun and easy to read and digest, which is sometimes unusual for autobiographies. I really enjoyed reading about the life of Ronnie Wood, who played first with The Faces and then with The Rolling Stones (he still plays with the Stones to this day!) Wood included just the right amount of drama, music and adventures on tour to keep the reader entertained and want to keep going without thinking that he was rubbing in his good fortune in hitting the big time.

I also really liked how Wood wrote about his friendships with fellow Faces member Rod Stewart, and fellow Rolling Stone Keith Richards. They're both great musicians individually, and I really enjoy their stuff so it was nice to see them appear in Wood's story - Richards more frequently than Sir Rod Stewart as he and 'Woody' are in the same band... though there is definitely an element of Wood painting Keith Richards as a bit insane, at one point writing that he chased son Jamie "round the garden with a knife screaming blue murder". It really does highlight the picture which Richards painted of himself in his 2010 autobiography, 'Life'.

This book was published nearly fifteen years ago, so of course time has gone on... Wood writes about how he loves wife Jo and intends to keep proposing to her for many years to come - well the two split in 2011, and Wood then married Sally Humphreys in 2012. Some of what he has written is contradictory to what has happened since the book's publication, which is perhaps to be expected, but I think it would be prudent for reprints of 'Ronnie: The Autobiography' to be edited. I'd also like to see an update on what has happened in Wood's life in the last fifteen years - especially since fellow Rolling Stone Charlie Watts' death in 2021.

My main takeaway from this book was simple; don't judge a book by its cover - literally! This one looked nondescript and boring on my shelf and it sat there for probably two years or more before I decided to pick it up - and honestly, it's such a great read and I would recommend it to anybody with even a passing interest in The Rolling Stones or Ronnie Wood.