Bill Wyman

**William George Wyman** (né **Perks**; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. Born William Perks, he legally changed his surname to Wyman in August of 1964, the phonetic surname of a friend, Lee Whyman, with whom he had done national service in the Royal Air Force from 1955 to 1957.

## The Rolling Stones

Wyman joined the Rolling Stones in 1962 and played on all their hit records in the 1960s and 70s, such as, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Ruby Tuesday, Jumping Jack Flash, and Brown Sugar. He left in 1993 and briefly returned for a 50 year anniversary tour in 2012.

## Other Works

In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Rolling Stones. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. He has worked producing records and films, and has scored music for films and television.

Wyman has kept a journal since he was a child during World War II, and has published seven books. He is also a photographer, and his works have been displayed in galleries around the world.

## Personal Life

Wyman is thrice married. In 1989, he controversially married then-18-year old Mandy Smith, when Bill was 53 years old.

## Discography

**With The Rolling Stones**

- _The Rolling Stones / England's Newest Hit Makers_ (1964)
- _12 X 5_ (1964)
- _The Rolling Stones No. 2_ / _The Rolling Stones, Now!_ (1965)
- _Out of Our Heads_ (1965)
- _December's Children (And Everybody's)_ (1965)
- _Aftermath_ (1966)
- _Between the Buttons_ (1967)
- _Their Satanic Majesties Request_ (1967)
- _Beggars Banquet_ (1968)
- _Let It Bleed_ (1969)
- _Sticky Fingers_ (1971)
- _Exile on Main St._ (1972)
- _Goats Head Soup_ (1973)
- _It's Only Rock 'n Roll_ (1974)
- _Black and Blue_ (1976)
- _Some Girls_ (1978)
- _Emotional Rescue_ (1980)
- _Tattoo You_ (1981)
- _Undercover_ (1983)
- _Dirty Work_ (1986)
- _Steel Wheels_ (1989)

### Solo albums

- _Monkey Grip_ (June 1974) UK No. 39, AUS No. 36, US No. 99
- _Stone Alone_ (March 1976) US No. 166
- _Green Ice_ (soundtrack) (1981)
- _Bill Wyman_ (April 1982) UK No. 55, AUS No. 59
- _Stuff_ (October 1992 in Japan and Argentina only, 2000 UK)
- _Back to Basics_ (22 June 2015)

### Collaborative album

- _Willie & The Poor Boys_ (May 1985) US No. 96 [12 wks] (with Mickey Gee, Andy Fairweather-Low, Geraint Watkins, and Charlie Watts)

### Compilation albums

- _Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey_ (2002) - US Blues Albums No. 11
- _A Stone Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974–2002_ (2002, UK)

### Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

Main article: Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

- _Struttin' Our Stuff_ (October 1997)
- _Anyway the Wind Blows_ (October 1998)
- _Groovin_' (May 2000) UK No. 52 [3 wks]
- _Double Bill_ (May 2001) UK No. 88 [2 wks]
- _Just for a Thrill_ (May 2004) UK No. 149 [1 wk]
- _Studio Time_ (April 2018)

### Also plays on

- _I Can Tell_, John Hammond, Jr., 1967
- _The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions_, 1971
- _Manassas_, 1972
- _Jamming with Edward!_, 1972
- _Goodnight Vienna_, Ringo Starr, 1974
- _Drinkin' TNT 'n' Smokin' Dynamite_, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, 1982 (recorded live at Montreux 1974; also the 1991 film _Messin' with the Blues_ from the same festival, which features eight songs with this line-up, including four fronted by Muddy Waters)

### Solo singles

- "In Another Land" (December 1967) - US No. 87, Canada No. 21
- "Monkey Grip Glue" (June 1974)
- "White Lightnin'" (September 1974) - AUS No. 99
- "A Quarter to Three" (April 1976)
- "If You Wanna Be Happy" (1976)
- "Apache Woman" (1976)
- "(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star" (July 1981) - UK No. 14, AUS No. 5
- "Visions" (1982)
- "Come Back Suzanne" (March 1982) - AUS No. 12
- "A New Fashion" (March 1982) - UK No. 37
- "Baby Please Don't Go" (June 1985) - US Mainstream Rock No. 35
- "What & How & If & When & Why" (June 2015)

## Bibliography

Bill Wyman has authored or co-authored the following titles:

### Archaeology

- _Bill Wyman's Treasure Islands_

### The Rolling Stones

- _Stone Alone_
- _Rolling with the Stones_ .
- _Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey_
- _The Stones – A History in Cartoons_

The last three books and _Bill Wyman's Treasure Islands_ were all written in collaboration with Richard Havers.<sup>[_citation needed_]</sup>

A Journey through America with the Rolling Stones. Robert Greenfield. Helter Skelter Publication.

### Art

- _Wyman Shoots Chagall_

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Bill Wyman
- **birth place**: London, England
- **instrument**: Bass
- **years active**: 1962 - present
- **associated acts**: The Rolling Stones, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
- **image**: Bill-Wyman-1965.jpg
- **caption**: Wyman in 1965