After Dinner Speakers: Ronnie Wood, Rik Mayall, UB40

Ronnie Wood was born in Middlesex, England, the youngest child in a musical and artistic family. Ronnie's father, Arthur, played in a 24 piece harmonica band that appeared at race tracks all around the country and his two elder brothers, Art and Ted, were part of the British jazz and blues explosion of the late 1950's and early 1960's. Ronnie himself first appeared on-stage at the tender age of nine, playing the washboard with his brothers in a skiffle band at the Marlborough Cinema near London Airport. Ronnie's love of music went hand in hand with a love of drawing and sketching that took him in his teens to Ealing Art College. British art schools were then a melting pot for the new rock 'n' roll and rhythm & blues scenes. During this time, Ronnie joined a band called The Thunderbirds, later to be called The Birds. The Birds' main claim to fame was a lawsuit which put them on the cover of the "Melody Maker" in 1965 when their American "rivals" The Byrds first toured Britain. Though The Birds eventually went their separate ways, Ronnie had no doubt that music would remain the major influence in his life. He soon met up with former Yardbird member Jeff Beck who'd just recruited Steampacket's ex-vocalist, Rod Stewart. Ronnie started off on guitar alongside Beck but soon switched to bass. The Jeff Beck Group formed in 1967 and became a major force on the emerging American underground, helping to define the new genre of heavy rock. When the band split shortly before Woodstock, Ronnie and Rod Stewart promptly teamed up with the remainders of The Smells to form The Faces. The Faces were the ultimate British "good time" rock 'n' roll band and their live shows quickly became legendary. It became apparent by 1974 that the demands of Rod Stewart's emerging solo career, and Ronnie's increasing appearances with The Rolling Stones that The Faces would come to a halt. Ronnie had always felt he would one day join the Stones and his vision was about to become a reality. Ronnie played on 1974's "It's Only Rock and Roll" and has been a Stone ever since. As you can see within our Web site, Ronnie's devotion is by no means limited to his music. Through the years, he has remained an avid visual artist. Catching fellow musicians on stage, backstage, or at home with family and friends, Ronnie is as natural with a brush in his hand as he is with a guitar. Several exhibitions in Europe, Japan, and the United States (at our San Francisco gallery), have confirmed Ronnie's status in the art world.