In a new interview with Mirror, former Rolling Stones rocker Bill Wyman explained why he left the band.
The bassist left the band in 1993 for both personal reasons and to explore other interests. Those interests included archaeology. During the chat, he explained:
“I just had enough. It was half my life and I thought, ‘I have got other things I want to do’. I wanted to do archaeology, write books, have photo exhibitions and play charity cricket. I used to read about ancient cultures while I was on the road and take photos as well. I just had this whole other life I wanted to live.”
After leaving the band, Wyman kept himself busy by writing books, searching for treasure with his metal detector, and expanding his collection of stamps, cigarette cards, music hall posters, and Roman coins. According to him, he collects stuff just because it brings him joy, a habit he picked up from childhood.
Does Wyman Consider Rejoining Rolling Stones?
Being interested in things other than music didn’t stop him from reuniting with his former bandmates. Last year, the bassist joined the band temporarily for the band’s latest record ‘Hackney Diamonds.’ After the album, some news headlines implied that Wyman returned to the Stones, although he contributed just one new track to the album. The bassist addressed the rumors in an interview:
“Mick indicated he’s delighted with the track, so that’s a bonus, but that’s the extent of my ‘return.’ Are we finished talking about the Stones today?”
The album was a tribute to the late Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts. An unnamed source told The Sun that Wyman accepted the offer because the album would be a tribute to Watts and that Wyman really loved him.
The album also included drum parts recorded by Watts.