When The Rolling Stones return to the stage in the U.S. next year, there will be one big difference in the band -- Keith Richards won't be drinking.
He tells Rolling Stone that though he still has “a glass of wine occasionally, and a beer,” for the most part “I pulled the plug on it. I got fed up with it.” Richards, who turns 75 on December 18th, adds, “It was time to quit, just like all the other stuff... I don’t notice any difference really -- except for I don’t drink. I wasn’t feeling [right]. I’ve done it. I didn’t want that anymore."
One person who's noticed a change is bandmate Ron Wood, who's been sober since 2010. Wood says, "He’s a pleasure to work with. Much more mellow. He’s open to more ideas, whereas before I’d kind of grit my teeth and go, ‘He’s gonna give me some [crap] for saying this.' Now, he’ll say, 'That’s cool, man.'"