Rock

HARLEM rapper Rob Base, one-half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died aged 59.

The musician, whose real name is Robert Ginyard, passed away after a private battle with cancer, his family announced in a statement.

Base, best known for the hit “It Takes Two”, celebrated his birthday just four days ago.

A statement posted on his social media account read: “Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world.

“Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten.

“Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives.”

Base and E-Z Rock brought a unique blend of house music and hip-hop to the mainstream in the 1980s.

E-Z Rock died from complications of diabetes in 2014.

Their breakaway hit, “It Takes Two”, reached number three on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart in 1988.

What began as a neighbourhood party record from the streets of Harlem blew up into an iconic anthem.

Since its release the track has been sampled by everyone from Snoop Dogg to Black Eyd Peas.

Base and E-Z Rock met in the fifth grade while growing up in Harlem.

They became inspired to form a duo as teenagers leading Base to buy a mic and E-Z Rock a mixer and turntables.

More recently, Base continued performing on the “I Love the ’90s Tour” alongside acts like Vanilla Ice and Young MC.

He also mentored up-and-coming artists under his company Funky Base inc.

Base also worked as an executive producer on the horror film “Urban Flesh Easters”, released last year.

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Benidorm star Crissy Rock has warned that political correctness has possibly “gone too far” for the beloved sitcom to make a comeback but has a new project that she says is perfect for fans of the show

Crissy Rock has warned that political correctness might put a stop to a reboot of Benidorm. The actress, 67, starred as Janey Yorke in the first four series of the sunny sitcom, which ran from 2007 until 2018.

Whilst the star would jump at the chance to go back to her role as the Solana hotel manageress, who was eventually replaced by Sherrie Hewson as Joyce Temple-Savage, she worries that certain attitudes these days might make a comeback impossible.

She told The Mirror: “There’s always whispers [about a reboot], this, that and the other. I’m sure there would be a place for it because it’s so in demand, but with all this political correctness you can’t say this and you can’t say that now.

“You can’t even smoke! I was watching something the other day and a thing came up saying ‘May contain smoking!’ What’s wrong? The world’s gone mad!”

READ MORE: Benidorm favourite Elsie Kelly dies as co-star pays heartfelt tributeREAD MORE: Sherrie Hewson shares bleak Benidorm update amid reboot rumours

The former I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! contestant, who starred on Benidorm alongside other TV favourites like Siobhan Finneran, Johnny Vegas and Sheridan Smith amongst a host of others, tries to stay away from politics when she performs her stand-up routines, but still thinks that it has all “gone too far” with what can and can’t be said these days.

She added: “In my own show, I don’t do politics. My act has been practically the same for years but I just think [political correctness] has all gone too far the other way. In pantomime, you can’t have the Prince kiss Snow White anymore but you can have a dog come on and lick her face, I mean, it’s gone too far! Someone said I couldn’t say ‘Alright, love’ anymore. It’s just gone stupid!”

Despite her willingness to make a comeback should the chance ever appear, Crissy doesn’t have all good memories from working on the set in the Spanish city.

She said: “It was lovely, and then the reality kicked in that you were stuck in a building with no air conditioning, really roasting with the lights and, half the time you couldn’t hardly breathe. Then you have to start turning the lights off and put the air conditioning on because it was really, really hot, especially when they’re doing all the indoor scenes in the club.”

But for now, Crissy, who shot to fame when she took on the leading role of the 1994 film Ladybird, Ladybird, is happy to be back on stage with a new production of Desperate Scousewives. She stars as Lily, who along with Susan and Vanessa, must navigate things when Trisha, a single mum from Manchester, arrives on their tight-knit backstreet in Liverpool.

All set during a hen do, where the bride is preparing to get married to man in prison she has never actually met, Crissy thinks it will be the perfect night out for fans of the ITV sitcom.

She explained: “Desperate Scousewives is a bit like Benidorm, because the reason Benidorm was so successful is people would watch it and go, ‘Doesn’t that remind you of that drunk around the corner, oh what about her? I know someone just like her!’

“So everyone recognised themselves as someone. And with Desperate Scousewives, everyone who goes will say, ‘I remember that,’ and ‘I recognise her!'”

Desperate Scousewives is written by Lynne Fitzgerald, who also stars as Susan in the production, and embraces the kind of Northern humour that has become synonymous with programmes like Coronation Street, The Royle Family and Shameless.

Liverpool-born Crissy was challenged by someone who wondered how that kind of humour would go down across the nation but she remained full of confidence that it is a universally funny piece of work.

She said: “I met someone who wasn’t from up north who said ‘How do you think this is going to travel?’ and I said ‘Perfectly!’ because we are the street anywhere in the country.

“There’s three or four women exactly like that in every other street in the county. It’s not about your voice or where you’re from, it’s… individuals, their lives, So it could be any street in any part of England.

“I play bit of a matriarch. Nosey, absolutely nosey. And she wants to know everyone’s business but she doesn’t want anyone to know her business and then when she meets anyone new she puts this telephone voice on, trying to talk posh.

“The others will be telling her to shut up and she’ll go ‘Oh, take no notice of those little b*****s!’ It’s been such good fun [in rehearsals], we can’t look at each other without laughing!”

Desperate Scousewives is on tour across the UK. For tickets and more information, go to www.scousewivesonstage.com

Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse are expecting their first child together.

The model debuted her baby bump Thursday at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where she walked the red carpet for the premiere of “Parallel Tales” along with her husband.

The couple posed for photos at the event, drawing attention to their gestating bundle of joy by framing and caressing Palvin’s belly. According to TMZ, the baby is due around August or September.

Palvin and Sprouse also took to Instagram to share their happy news. Included in the slideshow they posted Thursday is what appears to be a sonogram image of a fetus in a womb, throwing a “rock on” hand signal.

“High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens, who appeared alongside Sprouse in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” in 2006, was among the couple’s well-wishers on social media.

“Rock on little family,” Hudgens wrote in her comment, which also included a heart emoji.

The former Disney Channel star and Victoria’s Secret model first met at a party in 2017. In a 2018 video for Vogue Australia, Palvin shared that Sprouse was her first boyfriend in six years and described him as a “perfect guy” who is “very kind and gentle.” The couple tied the knot in 2023.

In April, Sprouse tackled a trespasser at his Hollywood Hills home after Palvin spotted “the creepy” intruder. Palvin called the police, and Sprouse held the suspect down until they arrived.

TOWIE star Jake Hall laid bare the “only reason” he was still alive after hitting rock bottom in his heartbreaking last interview.

The 35-year-old, who has been found dead in a Spanish holiday villa, said the only thing that kept him going was his daughter River.

Now eight, the little girl brought him back from the brink after the collapse of his first fashion label Prévu in 2023.

He said: “I was at a very low point.

“I’d lost something that I’d loved and grew from my bedroom. I went through a lot of turmoil.

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“If I’m honest, River is the reason I’m here today. She’s amazing and we’ve got an incredible relationship. She’s very creative, is always dancing and loves clothes.

“It was that part that hurt most when I lost Prévu. I lost something that was for her, everything I do is for her and her future.”

Jake shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex in 2015 and had an explosive on-off relationship with Chloe Lewis, with millions of viewers following every moment of their doomed romance.

He left the show in 2016 and later revealed he had not kept in touch with any of his co-stars.

“I was very young,” he said.

“And it was an experience. I’m in a very different place in life now and want different things. There has been a lot of good and bad.”

Jake also opened about finding early success hard, and that he had struggled with self-belief when he was younger which had a major impact on his life.

He was desperate to be a role model for children who had faced similar problems and could not see themselves succeeding.

He said: “School was tough for me.

“I had dyslexia and quite a lot of problems growing up, and I want to show guys who might be similar to me that they can do it too. If I can, so can they.”

At the time of the interview in May last year, Jake was celebrating the launch of his second clothing brand By Jake Hall.

It had already been worn by major stars including David Beckham, former Vogue editor Edward Enninful and Manchester City star Erling Haaland.

Enninful, one of the most respected names in fashion, had worn one of Jake’s suits during the Monaco Grand Prix and had ordered two more.

Alan Partridge actor Steve Coogan is starring in Netflix’s searing new spy drama Legends

Netflix fans want to know more about comedy legend Steve Coogan after his recent turn in the British 90s-set thriller Legends.

Legends only dropped today (May 7) on Netflix, but audiences are already watching the six-part series, based on an incredible true story.

The show follows a group of customs officers, who become agents and adopt ‘legends’ or alter-egos as they go undercover to infiltrate Britain’s most notorious drug gangs as part of Margaret Thatcher’s war on drugs.

Coogan plays Don, the head of a top-secret group, which has been sent out into the field with minimal training and no budget or official recognition for their dangerous but vital work.

Many audience members are keen to know more about Coogan’s life away from the cameras, here’s the lowdown including his famous ex-girlfriends and a “truly terrifying” experience.

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Steve Coogan’s famous ex-girlfriends

The star has dated some very famous faces in the past, most notably Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s ex-wife, Courtney Love.

The pair had a fleeting fling with the Hole star – and both parties had some choice words about the romance.

Love described the fling in a 2021 social media post as “one of my life’s great shames” and went on to compare it to her solo musical endeavour America’s Sweetheart: “Like Steve Coogan, or crack, it’s one of my life’s great shames.”

Meanwhile, Coogan told GQ of their brief time together: “Some of it was true, most of it was b******s. To borrow the title of the film [2005’s A Cock and Bull Story], it was 20 per cent cock and 80 per cent bull.”

Along with Love, Coogan was also linked to model and restaurant heiress China Chow between 2008 to 2011, model Elle Basey from 2011 to 2014, and former TV presenter Melanie Sykes between 2018 and 2019.

He is father to Clare Coogan Cole, whom he shares with TV producer Anna Cole.

Coogan is now thought to be dating model and actress Caitlin Walsh since 2021.

Steve Coogan’s real accent

The star grew up in Middleton, Lancashire and studied in Manchester however, he recently admitted how he rarely gets to use his real accent as part of his work until he starred in Legends.

He explained in a recent interview: “I’ve played a lot of different people in my career, and it was quite nice to play someone who is from the North of England, which is where I’m from.

“It’s the first time I’ve been able to do my unfiltered, native accent, and that’s also quite enjoyable.”

Going on to speak about his character Don in Legends, Coogan said: “He’s no-nonsense and plain speaking, and people who meet him for the first time might consider him to be rude, unfiltered and direct.

“But they soon learn that he does care very deeply about the welfare of the people who work for him.

“He’s quite a moral man, despite his bluff, forthright nature, and that’s always an interesting character to play.”

Steve Coogan’s ‘terrifying’ ordeal

Coogan spoke candidly in his 2015 book Easily Distracted as per The Guardian about his former drug use and mental health, saying that he had a “truly terrifying cocaine-induced panic attack” in 1992 while living in Edinburgh.

He went on to describe how he had “been up all night doing drugs” when he started to feel dizzy and he was on the “verge of blacking out”.

A distraught Coogan was taken to hospital by a friend and thought he was going to die.

However, he was reassured by the doctor that it was a panic attack and he would be kept in overnight.

Instead of staying at the hospital, Coogan left and explained: “I was scared of what might be written about me in the papers.”

He continued to have panic attacks which led to depression.

Coogan sought out a therapist, who explained he was having panic attacks and taught him breathing exercises to manage any feelings of “impending catastrophe”.

As his panic attacks lessened, the Philomena star admitted he started doing cocaine again.

He reflected: “I spent tens of thousands of pounds on everyone else’s addiction, but it took me a long time to face up to my own.”

In the 2020 book Don’t Look Back In Anger, which featured interviews from numerous other Britpop era stars, Coogan said: “Some of the live shows I did I was still intoxicated from the night before. I didn’t care. I had a feeling of indestructibility.”

He added: “But the bottom line is the drugs don’t work.”

Although the star has now given up drugs, he still considers himself an addict.

Legends is streaming on Netflix now

BELOVED British rock legend, Alex Ligertwood, who helped shape the sound of Santana has died aged 79.

His daughter, Merci, shared the heartbreaking news on Saturday following his death just weeks after taking the stage for the final time.

The Brogan Agency confirmed a day later that the star “passed peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side” at his longtime home in Santa Monica.

Tributes have already begun pouring in for the iconic frontman, whose powerhouse vocals defined an era.

Guitarist Brandon Paul, who toured alongside him in recent years as part of “Icons of Classic Rock,” led the emotional tributes – hailing him as “a world-class professional.”

He said: “His voice was a force of nature – soulful, from the heart, and legendary every single night. Beyond the music, he was an amazing human being and a dear friend.”

Brandon added: “Having a vocalist who worked with icons like Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck compliment my guitar playing is something I will carry with me forever.”

The singer worked as Santana’s lead vocalist on five separate occasions between 1979 and 1994, lending his unmistakable voice to classic albums including Marathon, Zebop!, Shango and Sacred Fire: Live in South America.

He also brought some of the band’s biggest hits roaring to life on stage, including “Winning,” “Hold On,” and “All I Ever Wanted.”

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A BRIT rock star has revealed how he has become a dad for the first time.

Royal Blood’s guitarist Ben Thatcher, 38, also thrilled fans when he announced his newborn son’s unusual name.

The Brit Award-winning musician revealed that he and his longterm partner Becca had welcomed a baby boy named Phoenix.

The star took to Instagram this afternoon to announce the news and also shared a glimpse of his new arrival with his army of followers.

Writing alongside an adorable snap of the newborn baby, which shows the rocker cradling his son, the proud dad wrote: “Introducing my little boy, Phoenix Rue Thatcher.

“He has stolen my heart. @beccamcginty_ thank you for growing this little miracle.

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“I love you, you’re already the greatest mum to our wee lad. And thank you to @nhssurreysussex for delivering our little boy safely into the world.”

Ben’s friends and followers including some of his celebrity pals were quick to congratulate him on the news.

Strictly Come Dancing star, and fellow new dad, Joe Sugg was one of the first to send well wishes, penning: “Congrats to you both!”

While Radio 1 host Jack Saunders said: “Congratulations to you both. What a gorgeous boy.”

Brit actress Emma Laird gushed: “Congratulations oh my gosh.”

Ben along with his bandmate Mike Kerr formed Royal Blood back in 2011.

They have since gone on to make history after their first four albums all hit the No. 1 spot in the charts.

They aren’t just famous in the UK, Royal Blood have also achieved global success and played sold out shows and festivals across the world.

They have also performed with fellow rock icons including Muse and Foo Fighters, who both personally invited them to support them on their stadium tours.

Previously speaking to The Sun about performing with these huge bands, Ben told us in 2023: “Muse are a fantastic band for us to open up for because our fans kind of have the same DNA.

“So, for us to go out into those stadiums is like playing to a lot of our fans really, but in places where we wouldn’t be able to play normally.

“Like the Stade de France in Paris, which was amazing.

“You forget how many hits Muse or Coldplay have.

“They’re both made for stadium shows. Muse really is an unbelievable band.”

April 28 (UPI) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he shared a ride in a U.S. Army helicopter with Kid Rock weeks after the military came under fire for carrying out an Apache flyby of the musician’s home in Nashville.

Hegseth posted photos of himself and Kid Rock with members of the military on Monday.

“Joined my friend @KidRock — and some of our great @USArmy Apache pilots — for a ride this morning. (More to come on that!)” Hegseth wrote.

“Kid Rock is a patriot and huge supporter of our troops. The War Department is wasting no time celebrating America’s 250th — home of the free because of the brave.”

Sean Parnell, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said Monday’s helicopter ride for Kid Rock was part of the government’s plans to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, The New York Times reported. CNN reported that Parnell said Kid Rock filmed videos to mark Memorial Day, the 250th birthday and his own Freedom 250 concert tour.

“The visit today provided an opportunity for Kid Rock to thank service members, highlight the professionalism of the men and women supporting the mission, and recognize their continued sacrifice in honor of our nation. The department is grateful for Kid Rock’s long-time support of our troops.”

In late March, the U.S. Army said it was conducting an administrative review after Apache helicopters performed a flyby of Kid Rock’s home. Days later, Hegseth shut down the investigation.

“@USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED,” he wrote in a post on X.

“No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”

On March 28, Kid Rock posted two videos showing two Apache helicopters flying by and hovering near his home, which he has dubbed “The Southern White House.” In one of the videos, the musician can be seem saluting one of the helicopters before raising his fist in the air.

The performer has made several appearances in support of President Donald Trump during his second term in office.

Maj. Jonathon Bless, a spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division, said the Army’s probe would verify the helicopters were in compliance with safety and airspace regulations.

“Army aviators must adhere to strict safety standards, professionalism and established flight regulations,” he said.

A ROCK band member has quit his group after 10 years, six albums and huge sold out arena tours.

Red Rum Club, who formed after sharing a rehearsal space, have confirmed their trumpet player has gone his separate ways.

Joe Corby, who is known for his soaring trumpet solos, has quit the band just weeks before they are set to head off on their big US tour.

Red Rum Club, who now have five members including Fran Doran, Simon Hepworth, Neil Lawson, Michael McDermott and Tom Williams, have confirmed future concerts are going ahead as planned.

The band, who formed in Merseyside, confirmed Joe’s shock exit from the group yesterday, in a sad statement on X.

They said: “It is with great sadness that we are announcing Joe’s departure from Red Rum Club.

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“We want to thank him for the music and the memories we have made over the last 10 years and we wish him all the best for the future.

“All future shows will be going ahead as scheduled.

“Love, Fran, Tom, Mike, Neil and Simon.”

Fans flooded the comments of the post, sharing their thoughts on the sad news.

One fan wrote: “Gutted, for me Joe is Red Rum Club, I have now followed you for the past nine years.”

Another fan penned: “Ahh, so sad to hear this! I hope it’s for a positive reason and no health issues or fall outs. Joe will be such a HUGE miss. As others have said, he’s been such an integral part of your USP.”

Elsewhere under the post, fans were speculating Joe had quit the band to pursue his own solo career.

Red Rum Club burst onto the music scene in January 2019 after releasing their debut album Matador, which reached Top 50 in the UK Album Sales Charts.

The album featured their hit single Would You Rather Be Lonely.

Dave Mason, a founding member of the British psychedelic rock band Traffic who wrote some of their best-known songs including “Feelin’ Alright?” and “Hole in My Shoe,” has died. He was 79.

The singer and guitarist died Sunday at his home in Gardnerville, Nev., his publicist confirmed to the Associated Press. No cause of death was given.

“On Sunday, April 19, after cooking an amazing dinner with his beloved wife Winifred, [Mason] sat down to take a nap with sweet Star (the maltese) at his feet,” said a post shared Tuesday on the musician’s Instagram page. “He passed away peacefully, in his favorite chair, surrounded by the beautiful Carson Valley that he loved so much. A storybook ending. On his own terms. Which is how he lived his life right up until the end.”

“He leaves a lasting imprint on the soundtrack of our lives and the hearts he has lifted. His legacy will be cherished forever,” the tribute concluded.

Mason canceled his 2024 tour dates after doctors “detected a serious heart condition” during a routine check-up that required “immediate medical attention.” He was expected to make “a full and successful recovery” after treatments. He later announced his retirement from touring in 2025, citing “ongoing health challenges.”

Born May 10, 1946, in Worcester, England, Mason was a teenager when he joined singer and keyboardist-guitarist Steve Winwood, drummer Jim Capaldi and woodwind player Chris Wood to form Traffic in 1967. The band was known for its psychedelic sound that blended elements (and instruments) of rock, blues, R&B and jazz.

Mason was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 for his work with Traffic, but the musician had a fraught history with the group.

“We did some good stuff,” Mason told The Times in 1995. “We were young kids. The first song I wrote was their first big hit in England (‘Hole in My Shoe’). But I was only 19 years old and couldn’t handle all the fame, really. It was just too much.”

He explained that after he left the band the first time, he was asked to come back because “they didn’t have enough songs for a second album,” while he had written “five or six” including “Feelin’ Alright?” The song, now considered a classic rock staple, has been covered by multiple artists including Joe Cocker, Huey Lewis, the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Grand Funk Railroad.

“Then I found out that Steve [Winwood] didn’t really care for my stuff,” Mason said. “From my point of view, I think [our] differences made something better. … But it just pulled too much I suppose, and they couldn’t work it. I was more or less forced into having to leave.”

Mason’s subsequent solo career included three gold albums: his 1970 debut “Alone Together” — which featured hits like “Only You Know and I Know,” “Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave” and “World in Changes;” 1974’s “Dave Mason” and 1978’s “Mariposa de Oro.” His 1977 album “Let It Flow” was certified platinum.

He also collaborated with other notable acts such as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, and Fleetwood Mac.

Winwood shared a tribute to his bandmate on Wednesday on Instagram.

“Dave was part of Traffic during its earliest chapter, and played an important role in shaping the band’s sound and identity during that time,” said the caption accompanying a photo of a young Mason. “His songwriting, musicianship and distinctive spirit helped create music that has lasted far beyond its era, and continues to mean so much to listeners around the world.”

“Those years remain a special part of the band’s story, and Dave’s contribution to them is not forgotten,” Winwood continued. “His place in that history will always be remembered, and through the music, his presence endures.”

Mason is survived by his wife, Winifred Wilson, daughter Danielle, nephew John Leonard, niece Michelle Leonard and his brothers-in-law, Sloan Wilson and Walton Wilson.

By early 1963, the Station Hotel in London had become an epicenter of the burgeoning British blues scene. On a blustery, snowy night that February, the Rolling Stones’ classic early lineup took the stage for one of the first times, dazzling the audience with ferocious renditions of blues standards like Muddy Waters’ “I Want to Be Loved” and Jimmy Reed’s “Bright Lights, Big City.”

Multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, the band’s founder and leader, synchronized guitars with Keith Richards, who favored a distinctive slashing and stinging style. Drummer Charlie Watts, the group’s newest member, a jazz aficionado and an accomplished percussionist, propelled the music forward with a rock-solid beat.

Anchoring the rhythm section with him was bassist Bill Wyman, who was recruited more for his spare VOX AC30 amp that the guitarists could plug into than for his musical skills. The stoic bassist proved a strong and innovative player. Together, he and Watts would go on to form one of rock’s most decorated rhythm sections.

Ian Stewart’s energetic boogie-woogie piano style rounded out the sound. Months later, manager Andrew Loog Oldham kicked him out of the band for being “ugly,” although Stewart continued to record, tour and serve as the band’s road manager until his death in 1985.

This April 8, 1964, file photo shows the Rolling Stones during a rehearsal. The members, from left, are Brian Jones, guitar; Bill Wyman, bass; Charlie Watts, drums; Mick Jagger, vocals; and Keith Richards, guitar.

(Associated Press)

Fronting the group was Mick Jagger. Channeling the music like a crazed shaman, Jagger shimmied and sashayed, owning the stage like few lead singers have before or since. By the end of the night, the Stones had the crowd in a frenzy. Although only 30 people had made it to the gig because of the treacherous weather conditions, the hotel’s booker had seen enough: He offered the Stones a regular gig.

“The Rolling Stones had caught fire. The music they were playing and the way they played it struck a chord with a young crowd starved for something different, something their own… It was soul-stirring, loud and uncompromising,” writes Bob Spitz in “The Rolling Stones: The Biography,” his magisterial work that charts the 60-year journey of “the greatest rock and roll band in the world.”

Spitz, the author of strong biographies on the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, as well as Ronald Reagan and Julia Child, captures the drama, trauma and betrayals that have kept the Stones in the public’s consciousness for more than six decades. It’s all here: The Stones’ evolution from a blues cover band to artistic rival of the Beatles; the musical peaks — “Aftermath,” “Let It Bleed” and “Exile on Main Street” as well as misfires like “Dirty Work”; Keith’s descent into a debilitating heroin addiction that nearly destroyed him and the band; the death of the ‘60s at the ill-fated Altamont free concert; Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall and other lovers, partners and muses; the breakups, makeups and crackups; and perhaps most important, the unbreakable bond between Jagger and Richards at the center of it all.

Although Spitz unearths little new information, he excels at presenting the Stones in glorious Technicolor. Spitz homes in on the telling details and anecdotes that give the band’s story a deep richness and poignancy.

Take “Satisfaction,” the Stones’ 1965 classic and first U.S. chart topper. The oft-told story is that Richards woke up in the middle of the night, grabbed the guitar that was next to his bed, and recorded the iconic riff and the phrase “I can’t get no … satisfaction” on a cassette recorder in his Clearwater, Fla., hotel room before falling back asleep. But as Spitz notes, the song initially went nowhere in the studio. That is until Stewart purchased a fuzz box for Richards a few days later, which gave the tune a raunchier sound that perfectly matched Jagger’s lyrics of frustration and alienation. A classic was born.

Piercing the Stones mythology

Spitz’s deep reporting often pierces the mythology surrounding the band. Contrary to the popular belief of many fans, for instance, Jones bears much of the responsibility for the rift with his bandmates and his tragic demise.

The most musically adventurous member of the group — he plays sitar on “Paint It Black” and dulcimer on “Lady Jane” — Jones wasn’t a songwriter. That stoked his jealousies and insecurities, along with frontman Jagger stealing the spotlight from him. A monster of a man, Jones impregnated multiple teenage girls and physically and emotionally abused several women, including Pallenberg. Perhaps that’s why she left him for Richards. Over time, Jones made fewer contributions in the studio and onstage, becoming a catatonic drug casualty. The Stones fired Jones in June 1969 but would have been justified doing so a couple years earlier. He drowned in his pool less than a month later.

Author Bob Spitz

(Elena Seibert)

Similarly, Stones lore has long romanticized the making of “Exile on Main Street” in the stifling, dingy basement of Richards’ rented Villa Nellcôte in the South of France, where the Stones had decamped to avoid British taxes. In this telling, Richards, deep in the throes of heroin addiction, somehow managed to come up with one indelible riff after another built around his signature open G tuning — taught to him by Ry Cooder — leading the band to create one of the best albums in rock history. That’s not entirely accurate, according to Spitz.

Yes, Richards came up with the licks for “Rocks Off,” “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice.” But it’s equally true that a strung-out Richards missed myriad recording sessions, invited dealers, hangers-on and other distractions to Nellcôte, and repeatedly failed to turn up to write with Jagger. Far from completing the album in the druggy haze of a French basement, the band spent six months on overdubs at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, where Jagger contributed many of his vocals.

Beatles vs. Stones

One of the more interesting themes Spitz develops is the symbiotic relationship between the Beatles and Stones, with the Fab Four mostly overshadowing them — until they didn’t.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote “I Wanna Be Your Man” and gave it to the Stones, whose 1963 rendition, with Jones on slide guitar, became the group’s first UK Top 20 hit. The Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership inspired Jagger and Richards to begin penning their own songs. In early 1964, the Beatles came to the U.S. for the first time, making television history with their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and playing Carnegie Hall. A few months later, the Stones kicked off their inaugural American tour at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. In 1967, the Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” a psychedelic masterpiece. The Stones responded with “Their Satanic Majesties Request,” a psychedelic mess.

The Rolling Stones: The Biography cover

As the Beatles began to splinter, Spitz writes, the Stones sharpened their focus. The band released “Beggars Banquet” in late 1968 and “Let It Bleed” the following year, albums every bit as innovative and visionary as “The White Album” and “Abbey Road.” For the first time, the two groups stood as equals.

When the Beatles broke up in 1970, the Stones kept rolling. With Jones replaced by virtuoso guitarist Mick Taylor — whose fluid, melodic style served as a tasty foil to Richards — they produced what many consider their finest works, “Sticky Fingers” and “Exile on Main Street.” More impressively, the band, with Taylor’s successor, Ronnie Wood, has continued to dazzle audiences with incendiary live shows, touring as recently as 2024 behind the late-career triumph “Hackney Diamonds.” The Beatles, by contrast, retired from the road in 1966 and devoted their energies to the studio.

Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s. For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable.

Like most of the band’s biographers, Spitz gives short shrift to the post-“Exile” period after 1972. He curtly dismisses 2005’s strong “A Bigger Bang” and 2016’s “Blue & Lonesome,” a back-to-basics album of blues covers, as “adequate endeavors that signaled a band living on borrowed time.” That critique is both off target and under-developed. Spitz ignores the band’s legendary live album, “Brussels Affair,” recorded in 1973, or why the band waited decades before officially releasing it.

These are small quibbles. Spitz has written a book worthy of its 704-page length; another 50 or so pages covering the later years would have made it even stronger. To quote the Rolling Stones: “I know it’s only rock ‘n roll, but I like it, like it, yes, I do.”

Marc Ballon, a former Times, Forbes and Inc. Magazine reporter, teaches an advanced writing class at USC. He lives in Fullerton.