Stones To Keep Rolling?

An anonymous tipster told London’s Sun that The Rolling Stones are planning to bow out in style next year and are talking to Live Nation about a potential stadium tour.

Drummer Charlie Watts, the oldest Stone, will turn 70 during the tour and bandmates Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger – all in their mid-60s – agreed the milestone would make for a good departure from live touring.

“The band realize that age is creeping up on them,” the source said. “They want to bow out on top of their game, and not short-change their fans.”

However, when Entertainment Weekly did its fact-checking, the magazine got a different answer from the Stones’ representative: It is “not true” that the Rolling Stones are retiring.

Last September, Australia’s Undercover magazine reported Watts had quit the band, according to an anonymous source. Watts was allegedly persuaded by Keith Richards to do the Bigger Bang tour, but that was the end of his commitment to the band. Reps for the Stones quickly rejected the report.

The Rolling Stones have long been associated with promoter Michael Cohl, Live Nation’s chairman until 2008. Cohl is producing the Broadway musical “Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark,” scored by U2’s Bono and The Edge.

There was no official statement regarding the Sun story as of Monday morning.

Click here to read the complete Sun article.