Stone the crows: Ronnie delivers chapter and verse
By Oliver Duff
Published: 25 May 2007

* Mick Jagger once handed back a seven-figure advance for his autobiography, claiming that he was unable to remember much of significance. His Rolling Stones bandmate, the frazzled coconut impersonator Keef Richards, is touting his own "holy grail" of rock memoirs - which will be quite a read, if he can avoid similar difficulties.

Good to hear, then, that the autobiography of their guitarist Ronnie Wood, is finally set for release. Wood's book, which was tentatively titled The Cottonwood Drawings, but is now simply Ronnie Wood: The Autobiography, will hit the shelves by Christmas. His agent claims: "Ronnie remembers everything."

Wood started work on his life story in April 2002, while inside Arizona's Cottonwood rehab clinic beating alcohol addiction. Part of the therapy was to track one's path through life using art - the thinking being that it helps clients to better understand their current problems. Wood took to the task with gusto. Early rumours had it that his sketches from rehab would also be published as part of the memoirs - but this is no longer the case.

Wood is expected to spill the beans on his 30 tumultuous years with the Stones: bras, Rizlas, booze, cortex-crushing narcotics, riffs, rifts and farewell tours. Then there will be his time with Rod Stewart in The Faces, his battles against addiction and his more recent painting career. "Rehab brought the memories pouring out," says my source. "It is going to be pretty juicy. Not one of these rock books that sits unopened on your coffee table."