The Book Of The Blues

At the New York Public Library, Keith Richards revealed that he'd considered becoming a librarian and then demonstrated his skills as a musical archivist:

With a rueful shake of the head, he recalled explaining to John Lennon why the Beatles "could rock but not roll.” On blues, he said that "the power of American music has been one of the most underrated forces to come out of this country," offering Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan as favourites. He recalled meeting Mr Jagger for the first time and their mutual shock at the intensity of their shared interest in the blues. The two swapped records and developed obsessions with Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker and Elmore James. Mr Richards also remembered later encountering some of the bluesmen he'd idolised as a child. "Meeting heroes can be a tricky business," he said. "But their humility struck me. They had a way of taking a person into their heart."