The Rolling Stones: Why Keith Richards Compared His Hands to Mike Tyson’s
The Rolling Stones wouldn’t be the same band without guitarist Keith Richards. The band often follows his lead, which sets him apart from other guitarists. Outside of the music, Richards is always good for a memorable soundbite, such when he insults other musical artists. Yet it seems he has a bit of love for a famous boxer — Richards once said his hands resemble former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson’s.
Keith Richards showcases his unique guitar-playing style with The Rolling Stones
Richards helped bring blues and R&B music to the masses with The Rolling Stones. It’s not a stretch to say the musical landscape would look much different without the Stones.
What Richards didn’t do was modify his guitar sound. Fellow guitar players of the era, such as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, and Black Sabbath’s Tommy Iommi, employ foot pedals to modify their sound. Richards rarely uses them. He prefers to find his tone using the settings on his guitars and amps.
The Rolling Stones’ lead guitarist pioneered alternate tunings, specifically his open G tuning. Essentially, Richards tunes his guitar so that the strings make a G chord if they’re all played together and he doesn’t finger any frets, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The lack of distortion and open tuning aren’t his only signature traits. Richards compared himself to famous boxer Mike Tyson when discussing another unique aspect of his playing.
Richards compared his hands to Mike Tyson’s
His lack of foot pedals and use of open G tuning separate Richards from other guitarists. He said another element of his playing sets him apart.
As he discussed the iconic opening riff from The Rolling Stones’ song “Street Fighting Man” in Marc Myers’ book Anatomy of a Song, Richards compared himself to Mike Tyson while explaining how he hits his guitar strings:
“On that opening riff, I used enormous force on the strings. I always did that and still do. I’m looking at my hands now, and they look like Mike Tyson’s. They’re pretty beat up. I’m not a hard hitter on the strings — more of a striker. It’s not the force as much as it is a whip action. I’m almost releasing the power before my fingers actually meet the strings. I’m a big string-breaker since I like to whip them pretty hard.”
Keith Richards
Tyson and Richards would never be confused for one another. They have different professions and hail from different eras. Still, Richards said he and Tyson might have at least one thing in common.
And the comparison makes sense.
Guitar players develop calluses on their fingering hand; the friction of pressing down the strings eventually toughens the skin and makes that part of the job easier. Using a pick lessens calluses on the strumming hand, but Richards could have developed them. He plays guitar daily — even a modest amount of friction during a few strokes could causes calluses. Boxers uses their hands daily, too, hitting speed bags and punching bags while they train. Richards’s hands might look a little different from Tyson’s, but it’s not a stretch to believe their digits share some similarities.
The Stones guitarist nearly used his fists like Tyson on one occasion
Richards compared his hands to Mike Tyson’s. He once nearly used them like the famed pugilist, and Bob Dylan was the target.
Dylan, Richards, and founding Rolling Stones member Brian Jones crossed paths at a London club in the 1960s. The meeting did not go well.
Richards and Jones didn’t like it when Dylan said his backing band was better than The Rolling Stones. The famous troubadour also claimed the English band could never write a song as good as “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The Rolling Stones guitarists didn’t take the insults lightly, and Dylan and Richards nearly came to blows before Dylan’s security guard whisked him away.
Time apparently mended the fences, though. Dylan and The Rolling Stones toured together in 1995 and shared a bill at the 2016 Desert Trip music festival. It’s hard to believe any of that would have happened if there was lingering animosity between Richards and Dylan.
