Keith Richards Talks Drugs, Trump And Popular Music - Noise11.com
Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones images by Ros O'Gorman, noise11.com, photo

Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones images by Ros O'Gorman, noise11.com, photo

Keith Richards Talks Drugs, Trump And Popular Music

by Music-News.com on September 28, 2015

in News

In an interview with Billboard Keith Richards opens up about drugs, Donald Trump, Mick Jagger, The Grateful Dead, and reveals the only contemporary artists he can tolerate (Taylor Swift is not one of them).

On drugs:

Love my weed. Unashamedly a fan. A piece of good hashish now and again. But otherwise …

You know, the state of good drugs has gone down. In the ’60s and ’70s, you had barbiturates, which were great downers. And Quaaludes. These drugs were fairly simple. You took them, you pissed them out. But these new ones, the Xanax? I’m not there with that. [But] I still take Dilantin.

On Donald Trump:

I do find him refreshing. He’s cut through a lot of crap, and eventually … well, can you imagine President Trump? The worst nightmare. But we can’t say that. Because it could happen. This is one of the wonders of this country. Who would’ve thought Ronald Reagan could be president?

How he feels about The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead is where everybody got it wrong,’ he scoffs. ‘Just poodling about for hours and hours. Jerry Garcia, boring shit, man. Sorry, Jerry.

Mick Jagger is a…

…control freak. He has admitted it to me.

On contemporary music he can tolerate, “though he makes exceptions for Florence Welch (whose last name escapes him at lunch) and Ed Sheeran (who opened for the Stones in June), he can’t tolerate most contemporary music.

When I try to draw him out on Taylor Swift, he stops himself. ‘Oh, I don’t want to sound like an old man,’ he says, harrumphing loudly before dissolving in laughter.”

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Never miss a story! Get your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to the Noise11 Music Newsletter here

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Follow Noise11.com on Facebook and Twitter

more from music-news.com

Related Posts

Kenny Loggins has condemned the use of his song in an unauthorised AI-generated Donald Trump video.
Kenny Loggins Calls Out Donald Trump For Using ‘Danger Zone’ In AI Video Mocking Protesters

Kenny Loggins has publicly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump for using his hit song Danger Zone in an unauthorised AI-generated video shared over the weekend on Trump's Truth Social account. The clip, which quickly spread across social media, depicted Trump wearing a crown while piloting a fighter jet labelled “King Trump” as it dropped sludge over protesters gathered in what appeared to be New York's Times Square.

7 days ago
Kid Rock performs at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on 7 December 2013. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
California Governor Gavin Newsom Trolls Kid Rock Again Over Super Bowl and “Horrific Music” Jabs

California Governor Gavin Newsom has once again taken aim at Kid Rock in his ongoing series of Trump-style parody posts, declaring the “American Bad Ass” rocker banned from performing in California for making what Newsom called “horrific music.”

October 2, 2025
Jimmy Kimmel returns to late-night television after suspension
Jimmy Kimmel Calls Donald Trump an ‘80s Movie Bully in Return Monologue

Jimmy Kimmel has returned to his late-night perch on Hollywood Boulevard swinging hard at Donald Trump, branding the former president a “classic 1980s movie bully” who steals your lunch money and stuffs you in a locker.

September 25, 2025
Jimmy Kimmel returns to late-night television after suspension
Jimmy Kimmel’s Return Triples Ratings Despite Trump and Affiliate Blackouts

Jimmy Kimmel has roared back to American late-night television in record-breaking style, pulling in 6.3 million viewers for his first Jimmy Kimmel Live! since suspension - more than four times his usual audience.

September 25, 2025
Jimmy Kimmel returns to late-night television after suspension
Jimmy Kimmel Returns To Late Night And Says Freedom of Speech Is Not Negotiatble

Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late-night television after his brief suspension became more than just another monologue, it turned into a pointed commentary on free speech, political intimidation, and the precarious position of comedy in today’s America. His remarks touched on three main themes: the role of Disney and ABC in his suspension and reinstatement, the political pressure exerted by Donald Trump and his allies, and his own reflections on what free expression means in a democracy.

September 24, 2025
Neil Young photo by Ros O'Gorman
Neil Young Unleashes “Big Crime”, a Bold New Protest Anthem Targeting Trump’s White House

Neil Young has gone into full trump attack mode with his latest salvo in the world of protest music. “Big Crime” hits with the fury of a veteran rocker who knows his voice still matters.

August 30, 2025
Green Day at Marvel Stadium 010225 Photo by Rick Clifford @rcstills
Green Day Take On The American Idiots Trump, Vance and Musk In Melbourne #REVIEW

“Don’t you want Elon Musk to shut the f#ck up? Don’t you want Donald Trump to shut the f#ck up?’”. Green Day were in top form and didn’t hold back in speaking truth to power at their first Australian show of the Saviors tour in Melbourne on Saturday night (1 March 2025).

March 2, 2025