Rolling Stones Photographer Ken Regan Recalls His Time With the Band

Posted on Nov 24th 2009 1:30PM by Emily Tan
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Photographer Ken Regan promised himself that he would never shoot certain kinds of events. However when Keith Richards asked him to document some big events in his life, Regan just couldn't refuse. "I did Keith Richards' wedding, and the three things I said to myself when I got into photography that I would never do were weddings, bar mitzvahs and babies," Regan said at an event in the Brooklyn Museum on Sunday. "Keith got me to do two of them."

Regan has photographed the Rolling Stones for years -- shooting five of the band's concert tours, Mick Jagger's only solo tour in Japan in 1989, a Richards and Ronnie Woods solo tour, about three music videos and a slew of magazine shoots. Starting with the Stones' 1972 American tour -- also the same time Robert Frank's controversial film 'C---sucker Blues' was filmed, Regan has had many interesting moments with one of the biggest bands in the world.

While many people may prefer Richards over Stones frontman Mick Jagger, Regan saw that he was more than just the band's lead singer. "Mick really is the number one person in the band," Regan said. "Mick was the band leader. He was the organizer. He graduated from the London School of Economics. Every nickel and dollar that is spent on a tour, Mick knows about it."

Regan also revealed that there was a time when Jagger wasn't necessarily set on just being a musician for the rest of his life, and that film was where his heart was leading him. "[Mick] said, 'Well, I know you have this great interest in film, and I do, too. And I want to go in that direction. There are a lot of different things I want to do. I don't want to do rock 'n' roll at age 60" Regan relayed and added that Jagger also considered remaking Billy Wilder's 1959 film 'Some Like It Hot,' potentially casting David Bowie, Madonna and himself in the lead roles.

And although the tours may seem exciting, Regan remembers many times the band just had nothing to do and had to make up new activities to get rid of their idleness. "There's a boredom that takes place on a rock 'n' roll tour," Regan said. "Keith gets up, calls [Rolling Stones saxophonist] Bobby over [and] they rip the TV out of the wall. They go to the balcony. They look to make sure nobody's down there, and they throw it off the balcony."

The Rolling Stones have been around for more than 40 years and although they've gone through several ups and downs as well as numerous changes, it makes one wonder how they continue to rock the stage every night. According to Regan, Mick Jagger made sure that he was always in shape, working out at least two or three times a day while on tour and once a day when he's not on the road. "Mick's phenomenal," Regan said. "Mick takes better care of himself than Arnold Schwarzenegger."

And while Richards' deal with drugs and alcohol isn't a secret to anyone, Regan said that thanks to Richards' wife and family, he was able to turn himself around -- even though he still enjoys the occasional bottle of Jack Daniels or some recreational weed. "The fact that he's alive is a modern medical miracle," Regan said. "The reason he is alive today is Patti Hansen, the woman he married in the early '80s who just straightened him out completely. She saved his life."