The Rolling Stones cultivated an image as rock 'n' roll's ultimate bad boys, and their offstage behavior was as legendary as their music, according to biographer Bob Spitz. In his book, "The Rolling Stones: The Biography," Spitz recounts how the band members, particularly Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Bill Wyman, once attempted to quantify their sexual conquests.
Spitz claims that Bill Wyman stopped counting his sexual partners at approximately 1,800, having meticulously kept a journal of women he had been with. In contrast, Mick Jagger estimated his total to be in the hundreds, while Keith Richards reportedly counted only four. This revelation challenges the perception of Richards as the band's most notorious womanizer, suggesting instead a more romantic side.
Richards has often focused on the women who significantly impacted his life, such as Anita Pallenberg and his wife, Patti Hansen, and has stated that drugs and music were more central to his life than pursuing women. Spitz describes Wyman as the band's "unrivaled p---yhound" and the most promiscuous of the group, despite being the oldest and initially the only married member.
Wyman's personal life later drew controversy when he married Mandy Smith in 1989. Smith was 18 at the time of their marriage, and reports indicated they met when she was 13 and he was 48. Spitz noted that this relationship reportedly "revolted" Jagger, whose daughters were older than Smith, and that the rest of the band expressed strong disapproval. Wyman has since expressed regret over the marriage.
According to Spitz, romantic entanglements within the band's circle often overlapped. He detailed how Jagger and Pallenberg, who played a couple in the 1970 film "Performance," had sex on film, with explicit footage reportedly recorded by Pallenberg. Pallenberg's journals, quoted in a 2024 documentary, corroborated this account. The intense atmosphere between Pallenberg and Richards at a shared rental home also led to significant tension.
Spitz argues that Brian Jones, who died in 1969 at age 27, set the tone for the band's rebellious reputation. Jones fathered five children by the age of 21, and the band reportedly paid off paternity suits stemming from his behavior, which Spitz suggests paradoxically enhanced their image.
The band's decision to be the "anti-Beatles" was a deliberate strategy to cultivate an image of insolence and arrogance. They eschewed suits for street clothes and smoked onstage, embracing their roles as "bad boys."
Despite the decades of affairs, marriages, and breakups, Spitz emphasizes that the core of the Rolling Stones' longevity lies in the relationship between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. He describes their rapport as a "love story," highlighting their deep mutual respect, citing Richards' choice of Jagger as his best man at his wedding as proof of their enduring bond.