This is it: (source:rs.com)


04.04.07 From Keith Richards
The story currently circulating around the net that Keith snorted his Dad's ashes with some cocaine is totally untrue. To set the record straight, Keith has sent us the following statement:

"The complete story is lost in the usual slanting! The truth of the matter is that I planted a sturdy English Oak . I took the lid off the box of ashes and he is now growing oak trees and would love me for it!!! I was trying to say how tight Bert and I were. That tight!!! I wouldn't take cocaine at this point in my life unless I wished to commit suicide."

The story is a hoot - glad to see the Stones still have the ability to provoke. Good for them. Perhaps Elton will come out with a morally indignant statement.
And I'm sure some of those same outraged types CONSUME tabloids for autopsy results revealing what kilt Anna Nicole, movies and TV shows about "the mob(s)", a constant stream of pop-bio-documentaries about serial killers (Ed Gein's on this week - who liked meat on the bones of those he ingested), the history channel for which @#$%&/oven footage was so long its bread & butter, and of course "Cops", - due to bv's policy on this site I won't even step into the bloody arena of "politics".
Has Jesse Jackson commented?

thx glen; i just checked it out...
cool statement and story...a strong and touching statement...
...a little silly that he even should have to respond...or that the 'usual slanting' would get headlines...as many here did predict right from the gitgo...

interesting and touching that both of the glims would have such great and close relationships with their pops...r.i.p. bert and joe.

I'm just relieved to hear him deny using coke now. At 63 the fags and booze should be enough, even for Keiths strong body.

You believe he doesnt touch drugs?

john r Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You believe he doesnt touch drugs?

i believe it was a resonsible public statement in that regard; he has generations of kids and grand-kids...and sees many young peeps at shows...and is a caring guy...plus it takes potential heat off the traveling show... and also possibly damage control p.r. for the tour etc...
i would imagine mick does not find this too funny...then again, he might be so used to all this crap...whaddya think? think it pissed off the businessman managerial side of mick on the eve of the tour?
just a guess, but i can't imagine keith losing any sleep over this.

to answer the question most directly?
nah i don't believe he dosen't touch drugs...
but maybe someone else administers 'em, so therefore he might not actually 'touch' it per se.

but i don't have the inside scoop; and it may very well be true in relation to cocaine...surely do hope so.
i'm sure he also has layers of medical help, as all seniors with such a medical history should have...and certainly one of these dox wants to make him a new and better man, for optimum work performance etc...and you know...a guy like that never really stops working...being him is a job and a half i bet...
what was the guy's name...?? dr. robert perhaps is one of several on the med staff i'm sure...got to keep responsible medical care as some of these medicines
can, er, interact with others of these medicines...or something...

.... you call that damage control ??????

well, yeah...and i'm not convinced any damage was done in the first place.
i answered yeah cause it's a good warm dramatic story (which has legs, that is, it will be picked up by the press for another wildly successful press cycle) a very visual tale with deep pagan tree reference...rooted ha...subliminal, perfect actually; he publically disavows cocaine...makes a good and accurate statement about the ho press taking things out of context...they do 'slant' everything for pizazzz and ratings or circulation...thass about all u can do i think. in terms of an excellent and effective press release that will be picked up and run with.
(if they do...i thiiinnnk they will) tho i expect comedians will continue to get mileage out of the same ol' keith jokes...the brain surgery, the pirate movie, now this...he's like, famous. i can't see it hurting anything in play.
do you think it was a damage situation?...things are selling pretty well so far i think...i'm sure that several in the organization were freaked however...
rose certainly responded early on.
...that's why they get to 'manage' things...
i don't think any damage done...just the same ol' same ol'
and as for 'damage control' per se from a managerial standpoint, how else could they have handled it?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-04-04 21:32 by Beelyboy.

The whole thing reeks of cheap publicity sham, imo.

Can't you just feel that announcement of a third O2 gig coming?
...plus a few more thousand tickets sold across the rest of the tour?

Lee

Why is it that I am/was not really surprised/shocked or even very interested about this whole matter, of course it's quit wicked but, I don't know...

JaggerFan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The whole thing reeks of cheap publicity sham,
> imo.


Disagree. Also disagree with those who say NME is making it up. Having read the interview, I conclude:
a) he did say it
b) he wasnt seeking publicity through this point. It was tucked away in the middle of the interview. Plus NME is not a huge circulation mag. He could have made this statement on a bigger platform if he was seeking publicity.
c) it might be true. I have read the retraction and the comment about the oak tree. It still wouldnt surprise me if he DID sprinkle some into the stuff he consumed.
d) the Stones machine went into overdrive to salvage the situation.

Of course the real revelation in the interview was that Keith listens to Motorhead! Now thats the kind of rock star I need!
As always with Keith..who knows. Reminds me of all the great urban myths

letitloose Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JaggerFan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The whole thing reeks of cheap publicity sham,
> > imo.
>
>
> Disagree. Also disagree with those who say NME is
> making it up. Having read the interview, I
> conclude:
> a) he did say it
> b) he wasnt seeking publicity through this point.
> It was tucked away in the middle of the interview.
> Plus NME is not a huge circulation mag. He could
> have made this statement on a bigger platform if
> he was seeking publicity.
> c) it might be true. I have read the retraction
> and the comment about the oak tree. It still
> wouldnt surprise me if he DID sprinkle some into
> the stuff he consumed.
> d) the Stones machine went into overdrive to
> salvage the situation.
>
> Of course the real revelation in the interview was
> that Keith listens to Motorhead! Now thats the
> kind of rock star I need!
> As always with Keith..who knows. Reminds me of all
> the great urban myths

Ahh...the Stones and MOTORHEAD! Two of my favorite bands ever.

I always felt that Keith and Lemmy would have had a blast hanging out back in the day, even though Lemmy detests heroin and prefers speed.

Two rock'n'roll lunatics who apparently can't be killed by death.

letitloose....

If it IS true, why bring up something that happened 5 years ago? With a tour's worth of tickets on sale - there's plenty of reason right there.

Business is business. Maybe they wanna shake the 'family fun' image they have?

melillo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> boy they play right into the stones hands, this is
> exactly what they wanted, keith and mick must be
> rolling on the floor laughing, stupid ass media


I think the only thing mick is saying now is "Keith Who?'

The Stones will go on forever. None of the guys will dare checking out in fear of ending up inside Keith's nostril.

Hrmf, a bunch of people around the world need to learn how to lighten up. There are wars all over this planet, and the Drudge report crowd are horrified by what someone (alledgedly) puts up their nostrils?!?

Rune

Is this the new "I'm drunk"-thread? Or the new "Mick Taylor shops wherever he wants to"-thread? Probably. But the thought is disgusting anyway.

Bike Dude,

I don't think it's that people are horrified, but thinking a) WTF??? b) As bloody IF! c) hmmm... publicity time.

Keith has already dinied it. He said it was an off the cuff remark. A joke. You can file it under April fools jokes

Blacklimousine

a few days late for that. I think the 'joke' was because of the collective "Ewwwww!" people gave instead of the expected "What a crazy guy! Aw! Gotta Love him! Six tickets, please!"

I, for one, am relieved about the retraction...for a moment there I thought Keef had taken the Oedipus Complex to new depths...

Diamond rings, Vaseline, you gave me disease, well, I lost a lot of love over you.

BikeDude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Stones will go on forever. None of the guys
> will dare checking out in fear of ending up inside
> Keith's nostril.
>

"Now Woody, you have to stay on the wagon. We don't want you dying of liver disease and ending up in Keith's nostril!"

Stupid questions - even worse answers in that interview. But people forget very quickly. When the tour starts again not many will remember this, I think.

Gee, I'm kinda dissappointed it's not true .....
I guess the Stones have lost their edge now, huh?

I do like the bit about about no one else dying cos Keef will snort 'em ....

ROFL

Marv

Marv Peck

Y'all remember that rubber legged boy

Thommie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stupid questions - even worse answers in that
> interview. But people forget very quickly. When
> the tour starts again not many will remember this,
> I think.


Dont kid yourself. This is one of Keith's most quotable and infamous lines ever. This one will outlive him, despite the denials and even if its totally untrue. The public love urban myths - this one is even better than the blood change story and up there with the Mars Bar one.

It speaks volumes about how much Jane Rose, Jagger et al are collectively shitting themselves that they're actually issuing press releases and statements on rs.com within 24 hours of this story breaking. THEY are obviously taking the press and public reaction quite seriously.

An unprecedented bit of damage limitation by the Stones management. Especially when you consider how long it took for updates on Keith's health and the status of cancelled shows a year ago.

Still, its good to see that they DID make an effort right away - even though the denial is pretty unconvincing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-04-05 00:05 by Gazza.

Gazza... this WHOLE thing - including the knee-jerk retracition - reeks of caculated publicity generation sham! If anything, it's backfired since it's only fueled the general public's view of keith Richards in the year 2007 as a walking Silly Joke. Every DJ and article I've read laugh AT Keith. It's backfired.

It's not "Ohooh, what a rock'n'roll Rebel", it's "Oh my f#$%, what an Idiot".

jagger fan you must be an idiot big time

I'm not an idiot. I'm an armidillo.

Thats what I've been sayin' all along. The consensus has been more of ridicule than anything else. And that reflects on the whole band, hence the damage limitation thing. Theres also the "oh you sick bastard" element as well, though, which I think has also hastened the detraction.

hehe
that s at least funny