Complete List Of Rolling Stones Band Members

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The Rolling Stones, formed in London in 1962, are one of the most enduring and influential bands in rock history. Over the decades, they have released more than thirty albums, including studio, live, and compilation albums. Their music has topped charts worldwide, featuring a blend of rock, blues, and rhythm and blues. The band’s significant chart success includes numerous hit singles and critically acclaimed albums such as Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main St.. Their latest studio album, Foreign Tongues, was released in 2026, following the Grammy Award-winning Hackney Diamonds. The Rolling Stones have also been recognized with multiple awards, including Grammy Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. The band’s current official lineup consists of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood.

Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger, the band’s charismatic lead vocalist and one of its founding members, has been a driving force behind The Rolling Stones since 1962.

Sir Michael Philip Jagger was born on July 26, 1943. Alongside guitarist Keith Richards, he has co-written many of the band’s most famous songs, forming one of the most enduring and successful partnerships in rock history. Jagger’s career spans over sixty years, during which he has become one of the most iconic and influential figures in rock music, celebrated for his distinctive voice and dynamic stage presence.

Raised in Dartford, Jagger attended the London School of Economics but left to focus on his music career with the Rolling Stones. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he acted in the films Performance and Ned Kelly, receiving mixed reviews. During the 1980s, he launched a solo career, eventually releasing four solo studio albums, and recorded the hit duet “Dancing in the Street” with David Bowie, which topped the UK and Australian charts.

In the early 1990s, Jagger founded Jagged Films, which later produced movies such as the 2001 drama Enigma. He was also a member of the supergroup SuperHeavy, which formed in 2009 and released its album in 2011. Despite some conflicts with Richards in the 1980s, Jagger has consistently found more success with the Rolling Stones than in his solo projects. He was married to Bianca Pérez-Mora Macias from 1971 to 1978 and has eight children with five different women.

Jagger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 with the Rolling Stones. He has achieved considerable chart success both with the Stones and through his solo work. Knighted in 2003 for his contributions to music, Jagger has also had species named after him, highlighting his cultural significance. He is credited with revolutionizing pop music and infusing rock and roll with a style and sex appeal that have influenced generations of artists.

Keith Richards

Keith Richards, guitarist and co-founder, has been with The Rolling Stones since their inception. His guitar riffs and songwriting skills, particularly in partnership with Mick Jagger, have been central to the band’s sound.

Keith Richards was born on December 18, 1943. Richards’ career, spanning over six decades, has been marked by his distinctive guitar style, which has become a signature of the Rolling Stones’ sound. He has often made headlines for his romantic escapades and drug use, contributing to his image as a countercultural icon. After the Rolling Stones signed with Decca Records, manager Andrew Loog Oldham encouraged him to use the professional name Keith Richard. Richards returned to using his full legal surname publicly in 1978.

Born and raised in Dartford, Kent, Richards attended Dartford Technical School and Sidcup Art College. By mid-1962, he had left Sidcup Art College to devote himself to music. He had already renewed his friendship with Mick Jagger and become part of the musical circle that developed into the Rolling Stones. Besides playing guitar, Richards occasionally sings lead on Rolling Stones tracks, including songs like “Happy,” “Before They Make Me Run,” and “Connection,” and typically performs at least one lead vocal per concert. Outside of the Rolling Stones, Richards has led his own band, The X-Pensive Winos, and appeared as Captain Teague, Jack Sparrow’s father, in two Pirates of the Caribbean films—a character inspired in part by Richards himself.

Richards was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 with the Rolling Stones.

Charlie Watts

Charlie Watts joined The Rolling Stones as their drummer in January 1963 and was a key element of their sound until his death in 2021. His jazz-influenced drumming style provided the backbone for many of the band’s most famous tracks. Watts also released jazz albums under his name and was known for his quiet, steady demeanor, which balanced the more flamboyant personalities of his bandmates. The Rolling Stones’ 2026 album Foreign Tongues also includes a contribution recorded during one of Watts’s final sessions.

Ronnie Wood

Ronnie Wood first toured with The Rolling Stones in 1975 and became an official member in 1976. Before joining The Rolling Stones, Wood was part of Faces and The Jeff Beck Group. He contributed to the recording of Black and Blue (1976) and has remained with the Stones ever since. Wood has also pursued his own solo projects and is an accomplished painter. His integration into the band brought a new layer to their music, complementing Richards’ guitar work.

Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman joined The Rolling Stones in December 1962 and served as the band’s bass guitarist until leaving in 1993. Known for his solid and inventive bass lines, Wyman was instrumental in the development of songs like “Paint It Black” and “Sympathy for the Devil.” After leaving the band, Wyman continued to make music with his group Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and published several books about his time with the band.

Brian Jones

Brian Jones was a founding member of The Rolling Stones and contributed to the band’s early sound with his multi-instrumental skills until his departure in June 1969, shortly before his death in July of that year. Jones’ ability to play a variety of instruments, such as the sitar on “Paint It Black” and the marimba on “Under My Thumb,” helped to establish the band’s early sound. His innovative techniques influenced the band’s experimental approach to music during the mid-1960s.

Mick Taylor

Mick Taylor joined The Rolling Stones in 1969 as a guitarist and played with them until his departure in 1974. His virtuosic guitar skills are featured on albums such as Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St.. Taylor’s bluesy style contributed significantly to the band’s sound during his tenure, particularly noted for his slide guitar work. After leaving the band, he pursued a solo career and has collaborated with other artists in various genres.

THE EARLY DAYS

Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart was a founding member of The Rolling Stones, playing with the band as an official member from 1962 until May 1963. Although management removed him from the official lineup, Stewart remained deeply involved as a touring and session musician and road manager until his death in 1985. He played piano, organ, and percussion on most Rolling Stones albums released between 1964 and 1986, with the notable exceptions of Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967), Beggars Banquet (1968), and Some Girls (1978). His performances also appear on later archival releases. Stewart was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones in 1989.

Dick Taylor

Dick Taylor played bass guitar for The Rolling Stones during their early formation in 1962. A friend of Mick Jagger’s from childhood, Taylor initially played guitar with Jagger and Keith Richards in Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys before playing bass in the early Rolling Stones. He left the band in the autumn of 1962 to continue his studies at Sidcup Art College, later becoming a founding member of The Pretty Things.

Mick Avory

Mick Avory, known primarily as the longtime drummer for The Kinks, rehearsed with The Rolling Stones in 1962. Some histories identify Avory as the drummer at the Stones’ first public performance at London’s Marquee Club on July 12, 1962, while Avory himself later said that he did not play an official gig with the band. The identity of the drummer at that first show remains one of the disputed details of the Stones’ early history.

Tony Chapman

Tony Chapman played drums with The Rolling Stones during their formative period in 1962 and early 1963 and was instrumental in helping bring Bill Wyman into the band. Some accounts have also credited Chapman with playing at the Stones’ first official performance on July 12, 1962, although other histories identify Mick Avory instead. Chapman eventually left as the Stones solidified the lineup that would include Charlie Watts.

Colin Golding

Colin Golding played bass guitar with The Rolling Stones for about eight gigs following the departure of Dick Taylor. His tenure with the band was brief, and he left as the group continued to search for a more permanent lineup.

Ricky Fenson

Ricky Fenson also played bass guitar with The Rolling Stones during their early days before Bill Wyman joined the band. Fenson participated in several gigs, contributing to the band’s developing sound during its formative phase.

Carlo Little

Carlo Little played drums for The Rolling Stones for a few gigs in late 1962 and early 1963. His involvement with the band was short-lived as the Stones continued to evolve their lineup in the early years. Little passed away in 2005, remembered for his brief but impactful contribution to the band’s early history.

Touring Musicians

I mean, come on, guys, Darryl Jones and Chuck Leavell Should Be Official Members Of The Rolling Stones.

Chuck Leavell

Chuck Leavell has been with The Rolling Stones as their primary keyboardist since 1982 and has long served as the band’s musical director onstage. He has played on numerous Rolling Stones studio and live releases since the early 1980s. His keyboard work has been a staple in the band’s evolving sound, contributing significantly to both live performances and studio recordings.

Bernard Fowler

Bernard Fowler has been a backing vocalist and occasional percussionist and keyboardist for The Rolling Stones since 1989. He has appeared on numerous Rolling Stones studio and live releases and has remained a pivotal part of the band’s live vocal sound for decades.

Matt Clifford

Matt Clifford first joined The Rolling Stones’ touring organization in 1989 and returned as a consistent presence beginning in 2012. He contributes keyboards, French horn, backing vocals, percussion, and works as a musical integrator. Clifford has played on releases including Steel Wheels (1989), A Bigger Bang (2005), Blue & Lonesome (2016), and Foreign Tongues (2026), among others. His versatility adds a rich layer to the band’s music, enhancing their sound with orchestral and electronic elements.

Darryl Jones

Since 1994, Darryl Jones has been the bass guitarist for The Rolling Stones, following Bill Wyman’s departure. Although not an official member, Jones has been a central part of the band’s touring and recording organization for more than three decades. His bass playing is critical to the rhythm and groove of the band’s later work, and he also appears on the 2026 studio album Foreign Tongues.

Tim Ries

Tim Ries, joining in 1999, handles saxophone and keyboards for The Rolling Stones. His contributions can be heard on live albums like Live Licks (2004) and Shine a Light (2008), bringing a vibrant jazz and blues influence to the band’s live performances.

Karl Denson

Karl Denson joined The Rolling Stones in 2014 as a saxophonist and is featured on the live album Sticky Fingers: Live at the Fonda Theater 2015 (2017). Denson brings a fresh dynamic to the band’s saxophone sections, following the legacy of longtime saxophonist Bobby Keys.

Steve Jordan

Steve Jordan became The Rolling Stones’ touring drummer in 2021 following the death of Charlie Watts. He has a long history of collaboration with Keith Richards in the X-Pensive Winos and brought that familiarity into the Stones’ rhythm section. Jordan played on Hackney Diamonds (2023) and continued contributing to the band’s studio work on Foreign Tongues (2026).

Chanel Haynes

In 2022, Chanel Haynes joined The Rolling Stones’ touring lineup as a backing and co-lead vocalist, featured prominently in performances of “Gimme Shelter.” Her powerful vocals have made a significant impact during the band’s recent live performances, adding a new dimension to the Stones’ iconic sound.

Updated August 21, 2026.