Overview

Ronald David "Ronnie" Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock guitarist and bassist whose career spans more than five decades. Best known for joining The Rolling Stones as a touring player in 1975 and becoming a permanent member in 1976, Wood combined high-profile group work with a steady output of solo recordings and frequent collaborations. He is also an established visual artist who trained at Ealing Art College and whose paintings and prints have appeared in galleries internationally.

Early life and musical beginnings

Wood grew up in England and came to public attention in the late 1960s. He first made his mark playing bass guitar in the Jeff Beck Group (1967–1969), where his rhythmic approach and ability to shift between bass and guitar roles became evident. He then co-founded or joined bands that mixed rhythm-and-blues, hard rock and more melodic pop — qualities that would define much of his later work.

Major bands and career highlights

During the late 1960s and early 1970s Wood was a member of Faces, a band noted for its loose, energetic style and charismatic stage presence. Faces (often stylized as Faces) recorded several albums and toured widely from 1969 until the mid-1970s. After Faces disbanded, Wood toured with The Rolling Stones and was invited to join them full time in 1976, taking on both rhythm and lead playing duties and contributing to studio albums and worldwide tours ever since.

  • Key bands: Jeff Beck Group, Faces, The Rolling Stones
  • Roles: guitarist, bassist, backing vocalist, occasional songwriter
  • Instruments: electric and acoustic guitar, slide guitar, bass guitar

Solo work and collaborations

Parallel to his band commitments, Wood has maintained a solo career since the mid-1970s. He has released a string of studio and live albums, toured under his own name, and worked with a wide array of musicians across rock, blues and roots styles. His solo work often reflects the loose, collaborative spirit he brought to Faces and the Stones, blending songwriting, covers and instrumental showcases.

Visual art and other ventures

Wood trained formally in art and has continued to paint and print throughout his life. His artwork—frequently figurative and portrait-based—has been exhibited in galleries and used in commercial projects. He is a co-owner of the London gallery "Scream" and has licensed designs for clothing and other products, including work produced by Liberty & Co. that feature his prints. His dual identity as musician and painter makes him one of the better-known crossover figures in contemporary British popular culture.

Style, reputation and legacy

Musically, Wood is respected for his versatility: he moves fluidly between rhythm parts that support a band and lead fills or slide work that add color to a song. Within The Rolling Stones he has been noted for forging a productive guitar partnership with Keith Richards, contributing to the band's sound both on stage and in the studio. As an artist, he has maintained a recognizable visual style and a steady presence in the gallery circuit.

Honours and notable facts

Wood's long association with The Rolling Stones led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as a member of the band. Beyond that formal recognition, his career is often cited as an example of a musician who successfully balanced participation in one of rock's most famous acts with solo creativity and a serious engagement with visual art. For further reading on his music, art and public appearances, consult archival interviews, exhibition catalogues and authoritative band histories available through music reference sources and galleries (rock and art resources).

Selected resources and references: biographical summaries, band discographies and exhibition listings can provide deeper chronological detail about recordings, tours and shows. For an overview of his bands and collaborations see pages devoted to The Rolling Stones, Faces and the Jeff Beck Group as starting points.