Bill Wyman ranks as the Rolling Stones' best-known bassist, serving as a vital member of one of rock & roll's most legendary groups and forming half of one of its most celebrated rhythm sections through the steady, reflective pulse of his bass playing. Few would find an obvious follow-up after such a run, yet Wyman pursued occasional solo work even during his Stones years, and after departing the band in 1993 he kept writing and recording, sometimes delivering blues-inflected rock similar to his Stones output on 1997's Struttin' Our Stuff and 2015's Back to Basics while also exploring contemporary dance-oriented material on 1992's Bill Wyman, which contained the hit "Si, Si, Je Suis un Rock Star," and on 1992's Stuff. With 2024's Drive My Car, Wyman proved he could deliver rootsy rock & roll in an upbeat, effortless manner.
Born William Perks in Lewisham, London, England on October 24, 1936, Bill Wyman started piano lessons at age nine and discovered rock & roll and rhythm & blues through Armed Forces Network broadcasts while stationed in Germany with the Royal Air Force. He purchased his first guitar in Germany in 1956 and began performing with a skiffle group in 1957. Switching to bass, Wyman joined the Cliftons in 1961. That association ended when he was invited to replace bassist Dick Taylor, later a member of the Pretty Things, in the Rolling Stones in mid-1962. Reportedly recruited largely because he owned his own amplifier, the 25-year-old Wyman was several years older than the other members. Despite the age gap, he quickly developed strong musical rapport with his new bandmates, and once Charlie Watts arrived the classic Rolling Stones lineup was in place by 1963. The next year, amid the British rock explosion sparked by the Beatles, the Stones signed with the British Decca label, launching the well-documented rise that followed.
Although Mick Jagger and Keith Richards handled most of the Stones' songwriting, Wyman supplied several compositions, notably "In Another Land" from 1967's Their Satanic Majesties Request. In 1974 he became the first Rolling Stone to issue a solo album, the all-star Monkey Grip, followed two years later by Stone Alone. Wyman achieved a solo hit in 1981 with the witty dance track "(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star," originally written for Ian Dury and included on his self-titled third solo album released in 1982. His next major side venture was the 1985 cover band Willie and the Poor Boys, which specialized in vintage rock & roll and rhythm & blues and featured Charlie Watts, Ron Wood, Jimmy Page, and Paul Rodgers. The group produced only one studio album, though a live recording surfaced in 1994. While he seldom drew the intense media scrutiny focused on his more flamboyant bandmates, Wyman became embroiled in controversy in 1989 after marrying 19-year-old model Mandy Smith, whom he had begun dating when she was 13; the marriage ended in divorce in 1991. In the aftermath, he released the solo album Stuff in 1992, issued solely in Japan and Argentina.
Wyman confirmed persistent rumors by announcing his departure from the Stones in January 1993 and disclosing plans for an autobiography, Stone Alone, published in 1997. That same year he formed the Rhythm Kings, a project modeled on Willie and the Poor Boys and dedicated to classic R&B, featuring guitarists Peter Frampton and Albert Lee plus former Procol Harum keyboardist Gary Brooker. The band debuted with Struttin' Our Stuff, followed by Anyway the Wind Blows in 1999. Entering the new century, Wyman issued a series of albums with the Rhythm Kings, including Groovin' (2000), Double Bill (2001), and Just for a Thrill (2005), along with various live sets and compilations. In 2007 Wyman and the Rhythm Kings opened for Led Zeppelin's highly anticipated reunion show at London's O2 Arena. Wyman made an unexpected appearance with the Rolling Stones during their London concerts on November 25 and 29, 2012, joining the band for "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" and "Honky Tonk Women" each night, though he immediately dismissed any possibility of touring with the group.
In June 2015 Wyman issued Back to Basics, his first collection of original songs in more than two decades. Two years later, Wyman and the Rhythm Kings released Rocking the Roots, their first studio album in 13 years. The Quiet One, a documentary on Wyman's life and career made with his involvement, premiered in 2019. Wyman rejoined the Rolling Stones to record "Live By The Sword," featured on their 2023 album Hackney Diamonds and among Charlie Watts' final sessions with the band. In 2024, nine years after his previous solo release, Wyman returned with Drive My Car, an energetic set of classic-style rock & roll and R&B.
