In a move that’s variously bemusing, ironic and a sign of the times, the Rolling Stones – once rock’s most notorious substance abusers – have reportedly threatened to replace Ron Wood on a proposed tour of America later this year if the veteran guitarist doesn’t curb his alcohol consumption.
A source told Britain’s Daily Express that “all the band have to have a compulsory pre-tour medical to make sure they can get insurance. Ronnie failed his medical for the 2002-03 tour because he was drinking seven times the recommended number of alcohol units a week. He had to spend a month drying out at a clinic in Arizona. There are worries that could be the case again this time.”
Wood was also said to be the driving force behind the proposed Stateside tour dates, possibly an alternative to the Faces reunion Ron had been pushing, but which has since apparently fallen apart.
Of late, it’s been a particularly stormy period for the veteran English rocker. Just last year, the 61-year-old Wood also divorced his wife of 23 years after his affair with 19-year-old Russian cocktail waitress Ekaterina Ivanova was revealed. Additionally, it has been widely reported that Woods has sought help for his alcohol consumption on several occasions since the Stones’ 2002-03 tour.