British Invasion Bands

Rolling Stones Timeline

Keith & Brian, 1963

1960: Art student Keith Richards and London School of Economics pupil Mick Jagger join forces to form Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys. 1962: The future Glimmer Twins are now playing with Brian Jones and keyboardist Ian Stewart in the newly dubbed Rolling Stones, named after a Muddy Waters tune.

The Stones' lineup is complete.

1963: Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts have now joined, and The Beatles help connect the Stones with manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Decca Records signs the band. 1964: Release debut album (#1 in UK, #11 in US charts)

Ed Sullivan and Mick

1964: The Stones are popular in Britain and attempt to take America with their first U.S. tour and appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and Dean Martin's program. 1965: Oldham encourages Jagger and Richards to focus on original material; one of the resulting compositions is "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" the Stones' first No. 1 hit, which many critics refer to as rock's greatest song ever. 1968: Beggars Banquet released. 1969: Let It Bleed released. June 8, 1969: An ever-unreliable Brian Jones, bitter after the Jagger/Richards team's rise to power within the group, is replaced by Mick Taylor. July 3, 1969: Brian Jones drowns at home in his swimming pool.

The Altamont concert

December 6, 1969: The Stones attempt to stage a free concert at the Altamont Speedway in Northern California; Hell's Angels are hired as security and kill one, while three others die accidentally. 1971: Sticky Fingers released. 1972: Exile on Main St. released. 1974: Taylor quits the band; Peter Frampton and Jeff Beck would audition to replace him during sessions for 1976's Black and Blue. 1976: Ron Wood, formerly of The Faces, officially joins the band. 1993: Bill Wyman, the oldest member of the Stones, finally retires after becoming disillusioned with touring. 2005: A Bigger Bang is released. It is the bands 22nd studio album. April 26, 2006: While in Fiji, Keith Richards suffered a head injury after falling out of a tree causing minor head trauma.

Rolling Stones, 2006

November 2006: The Stones are still a touring force well into their sixties; the A Bigger Bang Tour is named the highest grossing ever, with a final tally of $437 million. June 10, 2007: The Stones make their first festival appearance in 30 years, at the Isle of Wight Festival. January 17, 2008: The Stones announced they would be leaving EMI/Virgin Records to sign a deal with the Universal Music Group/UMG.

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