Papa was a Rolling Stone
Jesse Wood tells how seeing his dad at a huge US gig started his rock ’n’ roll journey
Jesse Wood, son of Rolling Stone Ronnie and husband of TV presenter Fearne Cotton, was duty bound to follow in his father’s rocking footsteps. On the road watching the Stones up close for the first time aged 13, Jesse clearly remembers when he decided on his future.
“It was in Philadelphia where I had that moment where you go ‘Oh my God, this is what I want to do’,” he says. “It was in a massive stadium looking from behind his amp at Dad punching the air at me, and with God knows how many people behind.
“It was a great moment, I’ll never forget it. I’ve even got a picture of it. I always talk to my dad about it as well. I always say that was a really big moment. Being in it. Being amongst it and the road crew and the guitars. “I’d been born into it in a way.” Indeed. Once a diehard Reef fan, Jesse, 41, now plays guitar with the band. Next week they release Revelation, their first album in 18 years.
Jesse has also played with his father in the revamped, Mick Hucknall-fronted Faces, and with Clash legend Mick Jones.
But Jesse avoids the excesses of the rock ’n’ roll life – his mother Krissy Findlay died from an accidental drug overdose in 2005.
He doesn’t drink, he practises yoga, and did his own brand of rehab by cleaning up with “friends and family around”. He says: “I didn’t see my dad much when I was younger because I grew up with my mum. She used to go out with a lot of guitarists. I had a lot of guitarist guys to look up to. They were all lovely.”
Findlay’s boyfriends included Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Jimmy Page.
Meanwhile, his family continues to grow. Along with two older children from his first marriage, Jesse and Fearne have two kids, Rex, five, and Honey Krissy, two.
And, of course, he has two younger half-sisters following the arrival of Gracie Jane and Alice Rose, twins born to Ronnie’s new wife Sally Humphreys nearly two years ago.
He says: “There’s nothing negative to say about it. I’ve spent some good times with them.
“It was an interesting moment, really, meeting them. It was just a beautiful moment. I’ve just been in Barcelona with them with my eldest son, Arthur. My dad and Sally are very happy. It’s a very loving atmosphere in the family.”
Reef’s album Revelation is out on May 4. The band is currently touring and play Hull tonight.