The Rolling Stones‘ Ronnie Wood has revealed that he turned down the chance to join Led Zeppelin.
Speaking on his Absolute Radio show, the guitarist said that his old manager Peter Grant sounded him out about joining the group when they were still known as The New Yardbirds, but he refused as he thought they were a “bunch of farmers”.
“Peter Grant used to manage myself and Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart and Mickey Waller and Nicky Hopkins back in the good old days,” he said. “He was behind a band that was going to be called The New Yardbirds.”
Wood added: “I had an offer to join, and I said ‘I can’t join that bunch of farmers’. Anyway, they eventually changed their name and turned out to be Led Zeppelin, and he managed them as well.”
Last month (January 9), Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts talked up the chances of the band touring this year. With the band set to celebrate their 50th anniversary, he said: “It would be lovely next year to do some shows because it will be 50 years. Ronnie [Wood] plays, I still play, Mick sings, he can do it anyway, I think Keith is doing some records.”
The Rolling Stones played their first ever gig in London on July 12, 1962. They reissued their seminal 1978 album ‘Some Girls’ late last year.