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Encyclopedia > Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Born 24 October 1936 (1936-10-24) (age 70)
Origin Flag of England London, England
Genre(s) Rock and roll
Blues-rock
Psychedelic rock
Years active 1962 - Present
Label(s) Velvel
Koch International
Rolling Stones Records
Associated
acts
The Rolling Stones
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
The Cliftons
Website www.billwyman.com

Bill Wyman (born William George Perks on 24 October 1936) was the bassist for the English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from its founding in 1962 until 1993. is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Blues Rock or Blues-rock is a fusion genre of music which combines elements of the blues with rock and roll. ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs; especially LSD.[1] by using lyrics that describe dreams and refer to drug use using bizarre sounds created by altering the instruments and vocals with electronic effects such as heavy distortion... See also: 1960s in music. ... “Present” redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Koch International Records, founded in 1975, is one of the major distibutors of German language music. ... Rolling Stones Records is the record label formed by The Rolling Stones in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. ... “Rolling Stones” redirects here. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... “Rolling Stones” redirects here. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

Contents

Early life

Bill Wyman (real name Bill Perks) was born at Lewisham Hospital, Pied Heath Road, Ladywell, Lewisham, South London, the son of a bricklayer and spent most of his early life in Penge, then in the county of Kent. He attended Beckenham and Penge Grammar School from 1947 to Easter 1953, leaving before the GCE exams after his father found him a job working for a bookmaker and insisted that he take it. University Hospital, Lewisham (often known as Lewisham Hospital) is located in Ladywell on Lewisham High Street, SE13 6LH between Lewisham and Catford. ... Ladywell is a place in the London Borough of Lewisham. ... Lewisham is a district in south-east London, England and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Lewisham. ... South London area South London (known colloquially as South of the River) is the area of London south of the River Thames. ... Penge is a place in the London Borough of Bromley. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The General Certificate of Education or GCE is a secondary-level academic qualification, which was used in Britain and continues to be used in some former British colonies. ... A bookmaker, bookie or turf accountant, is an organization or a person that takes bets and may pay winnings depending upon results and, depending on the nature of the bet, the odds. ...


Music career

Wyman took piano lessons from ages 10 to 13. After his marriage, he bought a guitar, but wasn't satisfied by his own progress. After hearing a bass guitar at a Barron Knights' concert, he fell in love with the sound of it and decided that this was his instrument. He created the first fretless electric bass,[citation needed] by removing the frets from a bass guitar he was reworking, and played this in a local south London band, The Cliftons. He began calling himself Bill Wyman using the surname of a friend with whom he had done National Service in the Royal Air Force. The Barron Knights were a British humorous pop group, originally formed in 1960 in Leighton Buzzard as the Knights of the Round Table. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ... National service is a common name for compulsory or voluntary military service programs. ... “RAF” redirects here. ...


When drummer Tony Chapman told him of a fledgling rhythm and blues band called The Rolling Stones who needed a bass player, he applied for the job and was officially hired in December 1962, as a successor of co-founder, Dick Taylor. Although The Stones were impressed by his instrument and amplifier (and his abilility to provide the band with cigarettes), they weren't too fond of Wyman's style and personality (probably because he was a little older compared to the rest of the group members). Although he developed into a strong bass player and a key-element in the group's sound, Wyman always remained something of an outsider in the Stones during the following decades. Wyman's work as a Rolling Stone after the first year or so of being in the band, both in the studio and during concerts, rarely involved vocals. One notable exception was the song "In Another Land", released both on the Their Satanic Majesties Request album and, oddly enough, also as a solo Bill Wyman single. A second Wyman penned song, "Downtown Suzie" (sung by Mick Jagger), was released on a collection of Rolling Stones outtakes, with the title of the song altered by Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein without informing either Wyman or the band (the subject of the song is actually named "Lucy"). Tony Chapman played with an early version of The Rolling Stones before they had a permanent line-up. ... Dick Taylor performing with The Pretty Things in 1999. ... Their Satanic Majesties Request is a psychedelic rock album by The Rolling Stones recorded and released in 1967. ... Michael Phillip Mick Jagger CBE (born July 26, 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ... Metamorphosis is the third compilation album of Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Kleins ABKCO Records (who usurped control of the bands Decca/London material in 1970) after the bands departure from Decca and Klein. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...


In the 1970s and early '80s he released three solo albums, none of which was particularly successful. The last one, 1982's eponymous new-wave rock offering, gave him a European hit single, "(Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star", a parody on his French rock star exile status.


The mid eighties also saw Wyman compose original music for two films by Italian film director Dario Argento - 1985's Phenomena and 1987's Terror At The Opera. Dario Argento (born September 7, 1940) is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. ... Jennifer Connelly stars in horror stylist Dario Argentos spine tingling tale of a young girl who arrives at an eerie Swiss boarding school where the students are being butchered by a vicious serial killer. ... Opera is a 1987 horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. ...


He also produced/managed some groups like rockers Tucky Buzzard. Tucky Buzzard were a British Hard Rock band formed in 1969 by three former members of The End. ...


Wyman kept a detailed daily journal of his days with the Rolling Stones. He used this journal extensively in writing his history of the Rolling Stones Rolling with The Stones and also his Stone Alone autobiography.


Evidently Wyman maintained a friendly relationship with guitarist Mick Taylor, the only member of the Rolling Stones to voluntarily leave the band. He continued to work with Taylor on solo projects from time to time after Taylor left the band. Michael Mick Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire) is an English musician best known as the former guitarist for The Rolling Stones. ...


Along with Charlie Watts, Wyman kept a low profile in comparison to Jagger and Richards. Although his personal life was sometimes stormy and his affair with a 13-year-old child (Mandy Smith) highly publicised, he came through his tenure as a Stone relatively unscathed. Wyman and Watts were, by all accounts, the most sensible and level headed of all the Stones, refusing to partake in the dizzying effects of drink and drugs. In Wyman's case, this could have been, to some extent, due to his age - he was the oldest member by some years. Always on the outside, it was said that he never really "joined" the band after thirty years. Charles Robert Charlie Watts (born 2 June 1941) is the drummer of The Rolling Stones. ... Mandy Smith on the cover of her single Victim Of Pleasure (1988) Mandy Smith (born Mandy Louise Smith on 17 July 1970) is a British singer, model and actress. ...


Wyman says he created the essential riff to "Jumpin' Jack Flash", although Mick Jagger and Keith Richards dispute the claim and are credited with writing the song (Keith Richards even played the bass on it, much to Wyman's chagrin). Jumpin Jack Flash is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. ... Michael Phillip Mick Jagger CBE (born July 26, 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ... Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones in 1962. ...


In the 1980s, distance grew between the other band members and Wyman due to, amongst other things, the Mandy Smith affair (see below). After having contributed to the album Steel Wheels (1989), he decided he'd had enough of it, but took some time to finalise his decision to retire. The Stones regretted his leaving but didn't seem too weakened by it. Instead of choosing a permanent replacement, they recruited several bass players to support them during recordings and concerts, the first of whom, Darryl Jones, made the strongest impression. ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Darryl Jones (born December 11, 1961), also known as The Munch, is an American bassist, highly regarded in both jazz and rock music. ...


Recent activity

Wyman continues to tour with his backing band, The Rhythm Kings, which has featured such musicians as Martin Taylor, Albert Lee, Gary Brooker, Terry Taylor - formerly with Tucky Buzzard, Mike Sanchez and Georgie Fame. British guitarist Martin Taylor is one of the most highly regarded guitarists in the world. ... Albert Lee is an English guitarist. ... Gary Brooker, MBE, (born 29 May 1945, Hackney, East London), is an English singer, songwriter, pianist and founder of the rock band Procol Harum. ... Tucky Buzzard were a British Hard Rock band formed in 1969 by three former members of The End. ... Jesus Miguel Mike Sanchez (born February 17, 1964, London, England) is a Rhythm and Blues singer, pianist and songwriter of Spanish-English heritage. ... Georgie Fame is a British R&B singer whose real name is Clive Powell. ...


Following his 70th birthday in October 2006, he undertook another British tour.


On 12 September 2007, it was announced that Bill and his band would be the backing band for the supporting artists that would feature at a Led Zeppelin reunion concert at The O2 in London. is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Millennium Dome. ...


Musical instruments

Wyman is an adept musician, teaching himself to play several instruments including autoharp, guitar, vibraphone, glockenspiel, piano, organ, synthesiser, percussion and cello. He has also contributed backing vocals. His innovative bass sound came not only from his home-made fretless bass, but from the "walking bass" style he adopted (largely inspired by the odd couple of Willie Dixon and Ricky Fenson) and his tight work with Charlie Watts. Their sound not only anchored the group, but exemplified the "heartbeat and pulse" idea behind ideal rhythm sections. An Autoharp The Autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers which, when depressed, mute all the strings other than those that form the desired chord. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A typical Ludwig-Musser vibraphone. ... Most orchestral glockenspiels are mounted in a case. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... The violoncello, usually abbreviated to cello, or cello (the c is pronounced as in the ch of check), is a bowed stringed instrument, a member of the violin family. ... In music a walking bass is a bass accompaniment generally consisting of unsyncopated notes of equal value, usually quarter notes (known in jazz as a four feel). Walking bass lines are used in rock, blues, rock-a-billy, ska, r&b, gospel, latin, country, and many other genres (Friedland 1995... Willie Dixons style of blues was one of the inspirations for a new generation of music, rock and roll. ... Ricky Fenson played with an early version of The Rolling Stones before they had a permanent line-up. ... Charles Robert Charlie Watts (born 2 June 1941) is the drummer of The Rolling Stones. ...


Personal life

At age 47, Bill Wyman began a relationship with a 13-year old girl by the name of Mandy Smith, with her mother's blessing. Six years later, they were married, but the marriage only lasted a year. Mandy Smith on the cover of her single Victim Of Pleasure (1988) Mandy Smith (born Mandy Louise Smith on 17 July 1970) is a British singer, model and actress. ...


He was close to the late Rolling Stones founder/guitarist Brian Jones. He was the only member of the group that didn't visit Brian Jones' home to inform him of his dismissal. He attended Jones' funeral a month later, along with Watts. For other persons named Brian Jones, see Brian Jones (disambiguation). ...


Outside of music

Away from the Stones, Wyman pursued numerous interests including opening up the now successful "Sticky Fingers Café" in 1989, a celebrity rock 'n roll-themed bistro serving American cuisine. These days he divides his time between his manor in Suffolk and a house in the south of France. This article is about the type of restaurant. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in East Anglia, England. ...


Former Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham admits that of all the Stones, Wyman is the one most at peace with himself, and he continues to prove that there is life after thirty years in one of the most successful bands of all time[citation needed] Andrew Loog Oldham (born 1944) is a British rock and roll producer, impresario and author. ...


He is also an amateur archaeologist and has a hobby of Relic hunting, going as far as having a letter published in The Times about his hobby (Friday 2 March 2007.) There is even a metal detector that bears his name on the market. For the magazine about archaeology, see Archaeology (magazine). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Inductive sensor. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Inductive sensor. ...


Solo albums

  • Monkey Grip (June 1974) UK #39 [1 wk], US #99 [11 wks]
  • Stone Alone (March 1976) US #166 [5 wks]
  • Bill Wyman (April 1982) UK #55 [6 wks]
  • Willie & The Poor Boys (May 1985) US #96 [12 wks]
  • Stuff (October 1992 in Japan and Argentina only, 2000 UK)

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

  • Struttin' Our Stuff (October 1997)
  • Anyway The Wind Blows (February 1999)
  • Groovin' (May 2000) UK #52 [3 wks]
  • Double Bill (May 2001) UK #88 [2 wks]
  • Just For A Thrill (May 2004) UK #149 [1 wk]

Solo singles

  • (Si, Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star (July 1981) UK #14 [9 wks]
  • A New Fashion (March 1982) UK #37 [4 wks]
  • Baby Please Don't Go (June 1985) US Mainstream Rock #35 [7 wks]

Bibliography

Bill Wyman has authored or co-authored the following titles


Archaeology

  • Bill Wyman's Treasure Islands ISBN 0-7509-3967-2

Rolling Stones

  • Stone Alone ISBN 0-306-80783-1
  • Rolling with the Stones ISBN 0-7513-4646-2.
  • Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey ISBN 0-7513-3442-1
  • The Stones - A History in Cartoons ISBN 0-7509-4248-7

The latter three books and Bill Wyman's Treasure Islands all written in collaboration with Richard Havers


External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Bill Wyman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (729 words)
Bill Wyman (born William George Perks on 24 October 1936) was the bassist for the English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from its founding in 1962 until 1991.
Wyman says he created the essential riff to "Jumpin' Jack Flash," although Mick Jagger and Keith Richards dispute the claim and are credited with writing the song.
Wyman is an also an amateur archaeologist and has a hobby of metal detecting.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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