News

Ron Wood Reportedly in Rehab

Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood has reportedly been admitted to an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in London, having fallen off the wagon after years of doctor-ordered sobriety. The news comes close on the heels of head surgery for bandmate Keith Richards, which was successful but which forced the band to postpone some shows on their Bigger Bang tour, now scheduled to kick off on July 11 in Milan. While neither confirming nor denying the rehab reports, Stones spokeswoman Fran Curtis assured European audiences that they should hang on to their tickets, and that the tour will start as planned.

A spokesman for Wood, meanwhile, said that the guitarist "needs some rest" but would be ready to rock on opening night.

British tabloid The Sun got the scoop from a "friend" of Wood's, who said that Wood had gotten his drinking under control during the band's last American tour, but that his addiction recently reared up again, only to be exacerbated by Richards' hospitalization scare.
Wood previously sought treatment at London's Priory Clinic in 2000, hoping to clean up before the Stones went out on another round of touring the world. It's a battle that Wood had fought before, too, leading the ever-quotable Richards to once say, "So what if Ronnie's in rehab? He likes it there."

Wood had previously installed a pub on the grounds of his estate in Ireland.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
06.16.06