Ron Wood

Ron Wood
Name	Ron Wood
Birth date	1950-03-01
Birth place	Edinburgh
Occupation	Musician; Actor; Painter
Instruments	Vocals; Guitar; Bass Guitar; Harmonica; Keyboards
Years active	1966–present
Associated acts	The Rolling Stones, Faces, The Jeff Beck Group, Small Faces, The Birds

Ron Wood

Ron Wood is a Scottish-born English musician, actor and artist known for his work as a guitarist with The Rolling Stones and as a member of Faces and The Jeff Beck Group. A multi-instrumentalist and painter, he has collaborated with prominent figures from the British rock scene including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Rod Stewart, and Jeff Beck. Wood's career spans session work, marquee tours, album credits, and occasional film and television appearances across several decades.

Early life and education

Born in Edinburgh and raised in Hounslow, London, Wood attended local schools in West London where he developed an early interest in rhythm and blues influenced by American artists such as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and Elmore James. In his teenage years he formed early groups inspired by the London rhythm and blues circuit that included bands performing at venues associated with the British blues boom and artists linked to Epping Forest folk-rock gatherings. Wood left formal schooling in his mid-teens to pursue music full-time, engaging with the same Soho and Camden Town scenes frequented by contemporaries like Eric Clapton and members of The Rolling Stones.

Musical career

Wood's professional rise began with membership in The Birds and session work alongside musicians from the Mod and psychedelic rock movements, leading to his recruitment into The Jeff Beck Group where he played with Jeff Beck and contributed to albums that intersected with the work of Rod Stewart. He went on to co-found Faces with former members of Small Faces and collaborators like Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones, sharing lead duties with Rod Stewart and touring extensively through the early 1970s at festivals and arenas associated with acts such as Led Zeppelin and The Who.

After Faces disbanded, Wood joined The Rolling Stones in the mid-1970s, recording and touring with the band on landmark albums and tours alongside Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman. His playing complemented the Stones' catalog from blues standards to original compositions, participating in studio sessions that involved producers and engineers connected to Abbey Road Studios and the broader London recording industry. Wood has also pursued solo projects and collaborations with artists including Bobby Womack, Ronnie Wood and Friends, and appearances on releases by members of the British Invasion and subsequent rock generations, contributing guitar, bass, and vocal work to a wide network of recordings.

Acting and other artistic pursuits

Wood has appeared in film and television projects linked to the rock world, sharing screen space with performers and directors involved in projects around Glastonbury Festival coverage and music documentaries focusing on figures like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Beyond acting, he established a parallel career as a painter and visual artist with exhibitions in galleries associated with the London art scene and international venues that have displayed portraits and landscapes referencing subjects such as fellow musicians John Lennon (as subject matter), musicians from the Beatles era, and other contemporaries from the 1960s and 1970s rock milieu. Wood's artwork has been auctioned and collected by institutions and private collectors who also acquire works by artists linked to the same cultural circles, including musicians-turned-artists and illustrators associated with Rolling Stone (magazine) coverage.

Personal life

Wood's personal life has intersected with public figures from the music and entertainment industries; he has familial and social ties to artists and performers active in the British rock and international music communities. He has been involved in charitable activities connected to organizations that work with health and music education alongside musicians like Ronnie Lane collaborators, and has participated in benefit concerts featuring members of The Rolling Stones and guest artists from bands such as Aerosmith and Roxy Music. His residences have included homes in London and country properties in Surrey, places frequented by peers including Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Awards and recognition

Throughout his career Wood has received accolades and public recognition tied to group achievements with The Rolling Stones and Faces, including induction into halls and lists curated by institutions and media outlets focused on rock history and popular music. These honors align him with contemporaries who have been recognized by entities such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and industry publications that document the legacies of The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin. His dual reputation as a musician and visual artist has been acknowledged in retrospective exhibitions and tributes featuring work alongside pieces by other musician-artists from the British rock era.

Category:English rock guitarists Category:1947 births Category:Living people