Keith Richards Quit Smoking + We’re Convinced He’ll Live Forever
Addiction has taken the lives of too many of our favorite musicians over the years, but there are some anomalies out there, like Ozzy Osbourne and Keith Richards. The Rolling Stones guitarist has finally quit smoking, and now it looks like he's really going to live forever.
Outside of playing guitar in one of the most legendary music groups of all time, Richards is also known for his battles with drugs and alcohol, especially early in his career. It's honestly an absolute shock the man is still alive, but hey — we're very thankful he is. He's 76 years old and is still kicking ass while touring with the Stones.
Luckily, the rocker has dropped another one of his vices, as he revealed in a new interview with Q104.3 [via NME] that he quit smoking and hasn't touched a cigarette since this past October. “I think both Mick [Jagger] and I felt that on the last tour we were just getting going,” he explained. “[We]’ve got to continue this.”
The guitarist first admitted that he was trying to quit about a year ago in an interview with Mojo Magazine, but noted that it's even more difficult to stay away from cigarettes than heroin. "Quitting heroin is like hell, but it’s a short hell. Cigarettes are just always there, and you’ve always done it. I just pick ’em up and light ’em up without thinking about it,” he said.
In addition to cutting off nicotine, Richards has also been open about his decrease in alcohol consumption.
Looks like he truly with rise from the ashes with the cockroaches. See Richards and the rest of the Rolling Stones on tour this year.
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