Quotes from Bill Wyman

I was listening to music long before rock 'n roll.

My first record I owned was by Les Paul.

I have very interesting hobbies like archeology and photography.

I open events for museums and I do charity work and photography.

I live in a house that was built in 1480. It has a moat around it. It is like a little baby castle.

I am much more my own man than I was when I was with the Stones.

But why is it that in music, anything more than 5 years old - apart from a few hits - is never played on radio to the young public?

I always got great respect as a bass player.

With the Rhythm Kings, I can involve myself in arranging and producing the music as well as the choice of songs.

You never know what your next dig is going to find.

I always listen to a lot of different music when I am working on a project.

I didn't want to stay in the Stones, and be stuck in a position having to play a music I didn't like anymore and that restricted me from doing all the others things I'm interested in because of time.

I had a wonderful time with the Stones but after 31 years, I thought it was time to move on.

The first records I heard were from Dizzy Gillespie and people like that.

Everything had to be done in-between Stones time.

I love to play smaller crowds with the Rhythm Kings.

I always got great respect as a bass player.

It's crucial to any band to have good organization; it's no good having a brash ideas-man like Andrew Oldham if there's no support system.

I'm always shy in front of an audience, so I'm always at the back, in the shadows, just doing it. I don't like the front, the adulation.

Because of the fashion, the young people don't have any access to the history of music, unless people like me revive it. There are very few people to revive it, because you can't earn any money doing it.

You're always frustrated, you don't have the chance to do a song on the album, like the Beatles did with Ringo and George, or like Led Zeppelin, where everybody was given a chance to contribute. There never is a chance with the Stones.

I have no restrictions, no limits, no musical history to live with.

There are things that I am very proud of and there are things that you are not so proud of. But I think that applies to any musician.

I think anyone would want to see their favorite band in a small club over a large stadium.