In a revelation that has shattered the myth of rock’s greatest brotherhood, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has finally confessed the explosive truth behind his decades-long feud with Keith Richards, revealing that his exit from the band was not peace — it was exile.
Speaking at the reissue launch of his memoir Stone Alone, the 87-year-old Wyman dropped a bombshell that has left fans and music insiders reeling.
“We never truly got along,” he admitted, his voice shaking. “I was treated like an outsider from the very beginning.”
For years, rumors swirled about Wyman’s sudden departure in 1991, but the real story — one buried under decades of denial — paints a picture of betrayal, envy, and emotional warfare that tore the Stones apart from within.
According to Wyman, the rift between him and Richards began long before fame — fueled by creative jealousy and personal resentment. As the Stones’ sound evolved, Wyman claims he was increasingly erased from the band’s legacy, his contributions to hits like Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Paint It Black dismissed as mere “session work.”
“They treated me like a piece of equipment — something you pack up after the show,” Wyman said bitterly.
But behind the tension was something darker. Wyman revealed that a secret incident in 1989 nearly ended the band for good — a confrontation that turned violent during the recording of Steel Wheels. Sources close to the session recall a drunken argument between Wyman and Richards spiraling out of control after Wyman accused Keith of “stealing bass lines and burying his credits.” One engineer claims to have seen Wyman throw down his bass and storm out, shouting:
“You’ll have to play the next one yourself, mate — since you already took my name off the last two!”
The next day, Wyman’s access card to the studio was deactivated. He never returned.
Years later, Richards would twist the knife in his own memoir, downplaying Wyman’s importance and labeling him “the quiet one who didn’t know when to quit.” Wyman says that passage was his final breaking point:
“Keith rewrote history — and the world believed him. I stayed silent, but not anymore.”
Those close to Wyman claim his silence was bought — an undisclosed agreement that kept him from publicly criticizing the band for years. But now, freed from those constraints, he’s ready to expose the truth.
In private, Wyman keeps a hidden collection of recordings and handwritten notes from his time in the band — documents that he says “prove everything.” Insiders whisper that they include audio of arguments, unreleased tracks where his bass lines were replaced, and letters from management warning him to “stay in line or lose his spot.”
Now, as the Rolling Stones continue to tour, Wyman remains haunted by what he calls “a lifetime of loyalty repaid with silence.” Yet he insists he harbors no hatred — only clarity.
