One of the most prolific guitar players in the world, Keith Richards has revealed how he had to evolve after suffering from a common condition that has left his hands ‘gnarled’

Keith Richards and guitars go together like Keith Richards and The Rolling Stones.

Both are a match made in musical heaven, and rumour has it he owns 1,000 of the stringed instruments that catapulted him to rock stardom in the early Sixties. Richards was an original member of the six-strong group, led by the gritty vocals of Mick Jagger. The group gained huge popularity, finding their musical stride with hits including “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (July 1965), “Ruby Tuesday” (March 1967) and “Honky Tonk Women” (August 1969).

After an almost two-decade-long hiatus from producing original content, The Rolling Stones made a long-awaited comeback, launching their 24th studio album, Hackney Diamonds, late last year. With global acclaim once again, farout magazine reported that despite being able to insure his hands for millions of dollars if he wanted to, Richards has developed a form of arthritis that severely limits the way he plays the guitar.

Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and swelling (inflammation) in the joints, with Around 10 million people in the UK suffering from the disease, including children and teenagers. The condition has led to Richards, one of the most famous and iconic guitar players in the world, having to evolve his ‘style,’ and how he would usually play chords.

While he has acknowledged his condition has affected his playing in some ways, he told the BBC: “I don’t have any pain, it’s a sort of benign version. I think if I’ve slowed down a little bit, it’s probably due more to age.”

He continued: “And also, I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that any more,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing it. Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens.” And so you’re always learning. You never finish school, man.”

As rock legend has it, Jagger and Richards first met at primary school in Kent in the 1950s. The duo bumped into each other many years later on a railway platform.

While Jagger was carrying records at the time, Richards was carrying a guitar, igniting a conversation about music while they travelled by train. Their chance meeting set them on the right track, leading to arguably one of rock’s greatest songwriting partnerships being born.