The worst thing that can happen to the tabloid press is when their out-of-control subject turns up and is completely sane. And so we put a close to the end of a week of sensationalism in the life of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.
Wood has been outed as a sane guy by that anti-tabloid paper, the Financial Times.Right at the height of Ron`s alcoholic binge session and seedy sexual escapades with an 18-year old Russian girl, he goes and has a sensible and informative interview with the FT. How dare he make the Murdoch press look like sleazy liars.
In an interview with FT journalist Rob Blackhurst near his home in Dublin, the recovering alcoholic Wood admitted to having a few drinks the night before.
Ron granted the interview to the FT to talk about his upcoming painting exhibition. In more dirt from the interview, we learn that Ron`s biggest customer is a cancer-curing doctor from Florida. Oh dear, the Murdoch press are going to go wild on that one. Can`t you just see the headline now “Saint Funds Alcoholic Rock Star”, maybe'
Wood is in demand as a painter. He was commission by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to paint the patrons of the restaurant The Ivy. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is awaiting Wood to paint him but Wood doesn`t like doing commissioned work. He likes to paint what he feels.
Wood talks about his part in The Stones. He said he had a 17-year apprenticeship before becoming “part of the empire, finally”.
He also says they are talking about a 2009 tour.
And yes, Ron was in rehab. He says in last weeks interview that he put himself into rehab before his daughter, Leah`s wedding last month so he didn`t miss the big day.
In a surprisingly open discussion, Wood says he started drinking as a teenager after his girlfriend at the time, Stephanie, was killed travelling to one of his gigs. "When Stephanie got killed I sort of drowned my sorrows," he tells me, "and I suppose I`ve never looked back since."
As for Wood`s current state of health' “Here I am at 61 and I`ve never felt better. I`ve never had a cleaner bill of health. I was just in the Mayr Clinic in Austria. They said, `We want to use you as an example of how we want people to end up.` They said I had the body of a 40-year-old."
For the record, Wood`s phone went off during the interview with Blackhurst. His ringtone is `Little Red Rooster`.
The Ron Wood exhibition `Ireland Studio` is on at Scream, 34 Bruton St, London until August 17.
