A new biography of the Rolling Stones—in fact, it’s titled The Rolling Stones: The Biography—has been published by Penguin Press. The massive 704-page book, which covers the entire 60-plus-year span of the group’s existence, is written by veteran biographer Bob Spitz, whose critically acclaimed previous bios have included titles on the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and non-music-related bios including chef Julia Child and President Ronald Reagan. The title, published on April 21, 2026, is available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.
A publicity blurb for the Stones book reads as follows:
“All great music is a threat. What left is there to say about The Rolling Stones? A hell of a lot, it turns out.
“Bob Spitz has brought his indefatigable energy and five decades of experiences in the fields and hollows of rock ’n’ roll to bear on his five-year journey to reexamine one of popular music’s greatest stories. There are myriad revisions to the conventional narrative which underscore just how in control of that narrative the band has been up to now—small example: no, Muddy Waters was not mopping the floors at Chess Records when the Stones showed up. But in a larger sense, as with the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, Spitz’s greatest gift is for the big picture. He knows where the magic is, and why it is. He is as clear-eyed a connoisseur of the show business, the spectacle and the collateral damage of this whirlwind as anyone alive, and that lucid gaze pierces a lot of incrusted bullshit, but the ultimate goal is to connect with a creative force whose power shows no signs of fading, over sixty years on.
“At its heart the story is about two boys, Mick and Keith, and their unique, fraught, alchemical bond, often tested, never sundered. The Glimmer Twins. The bandmates, like Charlie Watts, who found their groove in relation to this double star made the trip intact, while those who struggled, like Brian Jones and Mick Taylor, were chewed up and spit out. This is a story with many dark corners, including a surprising number of deaths. But whether Jagger and Richards sold their souls to the devil is at the crossroads for blues greatness or just squeezed their heroes for every drop of inspiration, in the end their connection to their music and to each other put them in a category of one, where they very much remain.”
Related: Another recently published book examines the Stones’ 1969 U.S. tour
The book’s publicity material also quotes an advance notice from the Los Angeles Times:
“A magisterial work that charts the 60-year journey of ‘the greatest rock and roll band in the world.’ . . . Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s. For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable.”
7 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationNO JONES…NO STONES!
Love the Stones. All of them.
But the quote “those who struggled, like Brian Jones and Mick Taylor, were chewed up and spit out” is pure hagiographic BS. Hope the rest of the volume is better.
With Mick Taylor on the cover, it must be a great book.
I’m 23rd in line at my library. Hoping to get it before Thanksgiving.
The Stones are Mick and Keith’s band although they worked with the others in their own unique ways. They had to work together to pull things together. Brian Jones was ultimately a malcontent who no longer fit. Mick T couldn’t handle the fame and pressure of being a Stone. Ron Wood turns out was destined to be the 2nd guitarist and best fit.
Mick and Keith upon coming to London would have formed a great blues rock n’ roll band with or without Brian. Turns out it worked great w Brian, while it lasted.
Over the years, I’ve read over 40 books on The Rolling Stones … and I can say that without question this has been the best one yet. HIGHLY recommended. kk
Relax everyone who bemoans the exits of Brian Jones and Mick Taylor. They had their time, they were part of the foundation, but just not meant to stay. Appreciate what is now.