Keith Richards’ guitar for sale
A guitar Keith Richards once allegedly shot a hole in is estimated to fetch $250,000 at auction. New Jersey’s Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction house already has a starting bid of $150,000 on the memorabilia.
According to Jo Wood, the ex-wife of Richards’ Rolling Stones bandmate Ronnie Wood, the rocker fired a hole through the Gibson 1952 SJ Southern Jumbo Sunburst Acoustic Guitar — which he used to perform Shine a Light on tour — following an argument with Ronnie over him playing the instrument in 1995.
The listing reads: “Richards asked where Wood got the guitar from, and Wood said he borrowed it from Mick Jagger.
“Richards was so mad that they took his guitar that he grabbed it, sandwiched it between two pillows, took out a gun and shot it. The guitar not only still has the hole, but also has remnants from one of the foam pillows used to silence it.
“He used this guitar during every single live performance of Shine a Light during the
RICHARDS ASKED WHERE WOOD GOT THE GUITAR FROM, AND WOOD SAID HE BORROWED IT FROM MICK JAGGER.
tour, and his use and love for the guitar are heavily documented in the Stones’ Totally Stripped documentary.”
It wasn’t the only time Richards brought out a gun during a confrontation with Ronnie.
In his 2007 autobiography, Ronnie recalled Keith being furious with him for smoking purified cocaine and proceeding to point his Derringer handgun at him.
He wrote in the tome: “After a row with Keith one day, he stormed off to get his gun. I warned everyone to ‘clear the decks.’ Keith came back with his Derringer, pointed it at me and yelled, ‘You f---ing bastard Woody!’
“But I had my own gun, a .44 Magnum. I didn’t have any bullets for it but I calmly pulled it out. And that was the last time Keith pulled a gun on me ... until the next time.”