It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Thirty Years with a Rolling Stone

by Jo Wood

When young model and mother Jo met rock star Ronnie Wood, she had no idea what her brief flirtation with this brilliant, charismatic musician would become. This is a moving and candid memoir from the woman who married the most controversial member of the Rolling Stones, and had the strength and courage to bounce back from heartbreak.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Rock N Roll, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Wife of Rolling Stones drummer Ronnie Wood.

Reviews

[Lynx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo Wood is the type of woman you wish you were friends with. Her light, bubbly personality shines through and makes this such a fun, enjoyable read. She shares in this book all the things Ronnie does not. She honest about all the drug and alcohol abuse as well as the pain she went through when Ronnie left her for a girl 41 years younger then him. All of this is done without a hint of animosity. For me the book shines most when Jo talks about the years she worked as Ronnie's tour PA. She takes you backstage, and you feel the excitement as though you were walking alongside with her, gearing up for a great night of rock 'n' roll.

To learn more about Jo Wood check out Muses and Stuff a podcast dedicated to celebrating the women who live, love and breathe all things music!

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

One thing she doesn't address is her plastic surgeries and it's obvious she's had them. What a depraved life the Rolling Stones lead. I had read in another book on Mick Jagger what an insulated from reality life it really is, and she does get into that more at the end of the book, once she has been pulled off that teet for good. The drug excessives, the carelessness with money, the removal of responsibility. I loved how she kept saying her first son (born from another man) was "happy" living with her parents in another part of the country. I seriously doubt it. Her hedonism didn't start with Ronnie Wood at 16. She was already at it at a much younger age, with two abortions under her belt, a serious lack of formal education and indulgent parents. I have zero sympathy for any of these people. They are given such a rare opportunity in success and they treat it with indifferent contempt. Also, good luck with that alcohol addiction, Mr. Wood. He'll die a drunk. Hopefully his young girlfriend at the time will weep prettily at his grave. Personally? I still don't consider him a Rolling Stone. Hired help.

[Allison Mcleary · Rating 2 out of 5]

How boring!!! Other than the train wreck they made of their lives at times, they are sheltered, indulged idiots!! I love a good train wreck, so those passages were entertaining. The end- couldn't be more typical. Kids grow up, she starts a little homey business based on new interests, the attention isn't on him anymore and she leaves her for an adoring 18 year old. Yawn!!!!!! And mind you her seizure while freebasing didn't shock her into change but Crohn's disease did?? Give me a break..

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about the crazy rock n roll lifestyle that the Stones were living behind the scenes as they made their meteoric rise to fame and sustained it by Ronnie Wood girlfriend then wife who was around it for 30 years, Jo Woods. She endured the ups and downs, the groupies, drugs, the extravagant lifestyle that soon came to be taken for granted. The addictions and sickness when trying to clean up. Trying to juggle being a parent with partying all night.

[Dave Schwensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike some rock biographies that only hint at or gloss over past bad behavior and dirty deeds, Jo Wood names the names and what was going on where and when. My first thought was that Ronnie Wood (with a hefty contribution from Keith Richards) would have to fight this one and offer his ex a big bucks payoff to keep it off the market. But then I realized when it comes to The Rolling Stones, there really is no such thing as bad publicity. Part of the allure is their five decades long image as carousing, drinking and drugging bad boys - and this book simply adds to the legend.

As a reviewer, I should only stick with the writing of the book itself, which is actually quite good. It was fun to read and I had a hard time putting it down, simply because each episode of Jo and Ronnie's life together seemed more unbelievable than what had happened before. There were many anticipated "page-turners" and the author kept it moving at a lively pace. I thought the story bogged down a bit when she detailed her business ventures, which came off to me as advertisements for her products. But on the other hand, that's who Jo Wood is as an entrepreneur and this is her story.

There were numerous questionable opinions throughout, such as Jo's continued declaration of being a good mother to her children while spending years in the bathroom free-basing with Ronnie and partying non-stop for days without sleep on Stones' tours. She gives credit to her family and nannies for their assistance, but her message reads loud and clear that she was not simply a dedicated party girl, but would do almost anything and put up with just about everything to hang onto Ronnie Wood.

And speaking of Ronnie Wood, whose name and reputation as a Rolling Stone is really the main incentive for reading this book; he comes off as a self-centered alcoholic and drug addict starved for attention. His only saving grace is a carefree and "anything for a laugh" personality in pubs, parties and on tour, with enough talent as a musician to compliment Keith Richards as the second guitarist in the Stones. Out of the spotlight he could be moody and mean, and continued a string of affairs with celebrities, groupies and "drinking buddies" who never seemed to age as he grew old enough to be his latest conquest's grandfather. One cutting moment was when he looked at Jo the day after her fiftieth birthday and declared he never thought he would ever be married to someone that old. But instead of being a testament to their life together, he meant it as a statement about how his mind works.

This is a fun and gossipy look inside The Rolling Stones protective bubble. It may read as a fantasy for those of us on the outside, but it was everyday life for the inner circle. If you're a fan, this is a welcome addition to your Stones library.

[Bonnie|thebookishinsomniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of memoirs and quite a few on the rock and roll lifestyle and it will never not shock me. So much cocaine. I also learned what freebasing is, so that's cool. Ending every chapter with "and then my life changed forever" or "then the bomb dropped" did get old, but it was a fun and fascinating read. And another good reminder why I'll never marry a rock star.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

would make a good People magazine "whatever happened to....?" article but kind of boring and repetitive as a book. It's exciting to be backstage at Rolling Stones concerts...but frustrating and worrisome to know your husband gets lots of attention from groupies and does not discourage it...rock stars and their entourages do lots of drugs and stay up late frequently...narcissistic male rock stars with serious drinking problems are difficult to live with and sometimes take up with younger women rather than remaining faithful to their wives....if you find these conclusions extraordinary and demand extraordinary amounts of anecdotal evidence before you will be convinced of them, this is the book for you. If not, it gets tedious.

Some passages were funny to me, not necessarily the ones intended to be so. For instance, recapping her wedding to Ronnie Wood, she notes: "When it was over the two of us bounded out of the church...into the white Bentley waiting to whisk us to the reception at a nearby pub....but before we could head off, Keith [Richards] jumped in too and....whipped out a little packet of coke.....I was actually furious with myself for doing it, as I knew it would kill my appetite at the reception" (p. 171). I know, right, it sucks when coke ruins your appetite. Presumably she let her kids in on this nasty side effect when giving them drugs at age 15 or 16 so they could be introduced to drug use in a controlled setting.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parts of it were fascinating and fantastic. Parts made me really sad for them.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was actually kind of boring. I should have known better than to expect any kind of "expose" of the Rolling Stones (they control their message way too well for that) but it was dull. Other than glossing over years and years of drug abuse and the discovery of organic living, there wasn't much to it. I found out more about these people by reading articles on Google.

[Tad Richards · Rating 1 out of 5]

These are horrid, boring people. I wouldn't want to know them, and I don't want to read about them. I did not feel this way about Keith Richards's book, so I'd say that all this is the fault of Jo Wood, not the Stones.

[Anna Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book, but toward the end kinda boring, I guess even rock and roll gets boring after 30 year of getting/high and stupid. And lots of name dropping, talk about someone that will not admit it, but missing the lime light

[patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light entertaining read.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat interesting insight but mostly I just feel badly for how Jo was treated.

[Evelyn Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this in one day! she gets rite to it and i luved reading her story xx

[Steve M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This autobiography Jo Wood gives us a glimpse from an insider's view into the tours of the Rolling Stones. But hold on a minute because that isn't exactly what this is about. Jo was Ron Wood's companion....I would say wife, but it seems their relationship was more of a companionship than a marriage. (Forgive me Jo, but that is how it seemed to me.) Jo absolutely LOVED Ron Wood, to the point of almost "worship".....and he kinda liked her, too. So I went into this book expecting to read about the Stones tours and all the wild and crazy times of sex, drugs and rock n' roll, but that's not what it's about. This is Jo's story and it doesn't disappoint you (and there is a lot about the sex and drugs and rock n' roll and her experiences). She met Ron while she was a young model and he had joined the Stones, having been the lead guitarist for the Faces with Rod Stewart.....he was quite an established guitarist, but since Rod was going solo, the Stones needed a replacement for Mick Taylor (who replaced Brian Jones) and they found the perfect fit for Keith Richards guitar/drug counterpart. I actually thought Ron Wood was a "tame" version of Keith when it came to doing drugs, but as Jo reveals, Keith may have been smoked under the table by Ron along the way. It is incomprehensible to read how much money was wasted "going up in smoke" by all of these rock stars. They went through cocaine like kids in a candy factory. The tons of cash that went through their hands blows my mind more than the cocaine they were all using.
This really is a tough story to read, quite honestly. It is very interesting and you will find it easy to go page to page, but as you read about their relationship, you can't help but get quite melancholic. Ron Wood isn't the amazing person his music projects....he's really an asshole. I couldn't help thinking how insane Jo must be to have stayed in that marriage and situation. However, it's always easy being on the outside looking in making all the judgement calls. Also, living the spoiled life where everything is always done for you, the best of the best is always served to you and you can buy new expensive houses, cars, clothes, etcetera at you very whim, then it becomes easier to see why someone wouldn't want to give up that life after all. In addition, she partied and partook of all the drugs and drinking right along with him, staying just as wasted and out of it as he was...until she had her last child. She knew he had all the women all over him and was totally unfaithful, but she overlooked it because she was still his number one. That is, until she wasn't his number one and he started treating her like she was number two. (Pun intended.)
It's a good biography and Jo is quite an outstanding lady. I know she is happier now without him, but they do stay friends. He just can't be faithful and appreciate what the important values in life truly are.

[Rala · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best one in this category.

Jo Wood is not a sophisticated or cultivated writer. Don’t expect anything similar to the very talented and beautifully written Marianne Faithfull’s Memories. Marianne Faithfull is right: they all (the Stones) choose models who are moduls. Having read this book I still don’t know surely if Jo Wood loved really Ronny Wood or the fame of Ronny Wood. I have the impression if she’d had met with Mick Jagger in the same party as with Ronny, she’d written a book about Mick Jagger and not Ronny Wood now. Inspite of the fact that I am not a big fan of Ronny Wood ( I definitely prefer Mick Taylor don’t mentioning Brian Jones) I don’t regret to read this book at all. A lot of stories that were new for me, about sex and drugs and rock and roll, endless parties all over the world, drugs, freebase cocain, alcoholism. I found very interesting that the book is really focused on the personality and the ego of Jo Wood, and it is against that background that Ronny has a really big ego. I like her part of organic products business, however found extremely poorly described her 4 days in Bangladesh. It’s not even 2 pages. Also, sometimes she is just telling you something about meeting with Bob Dylan or David Bowie but again, nothing interesting: “I might find myself cooking shepherd’s pie for Bob Dylan (a sweet guy, but very quiet) or whipping up spag bol for David Bowie.” I can imagine that she is very proud of meeting those artists, but that’s all? Bob Dylan , a sweet guy but very quiet. We don’t know how is Bowie 😀. Also I found very contradictory how she introduced drugs to her children, don’t know if that is the right way. I liked very much that she didn’t want to be hypocrite, that’s fine, but I am hesitant on this issue and don’t know if she was wright or not. Read the book, then you’ll see it.

[Denise Hale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good times and bad times revisited as Jo looks forward

I'm a similar age to Joe and recognised the same naivety and eagerness to experience life as Jo expresses. Ron Wood is a friend of Rod Stewart and I saw Ron on stage with him. By the time he and Jo got together he was with the, already established, Stones. At first, the rock'n'roll lifestyle comes across as you'd expect; parties, drugs, meeting the famous. And Jo enjoys it, but as their family increases Jo has to be the one taking care of things, as she grows up Ronnie doesn't.
Jo's writing style is confiding and honest, she 'clicks' with a lot of people who become great friends. She looks to click with the reader and sometimes assumes they have similar experiences and/or a willingness to be on her side.
I don't think anybody seeking to learn more about the Rolling Stones would gain much from this book, besides the awareness that even the famous have money problems, their's are just different to most people's. When Jo ditches Ronnie, she comes back to life and you can feel her do so. The last couple of chapters were worth reading to the end for. Accept, forgive and move on.

[Kathleen Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't necessarily like Jo, and Woody even less.

This is my second read of this book. I first read it when it came out and remembered it as being decently written, but felt Woody came off particularly rough, as he should. But honestly, Jo had her massive flaws as well. This second read through truly showed this was a toxic marriage, fueled by Woody and Jo's addictions and narcissism. I do feel she was truly in love with him, almost to the point of idol worship. This may have been the reason she stayed in the marriage until he ultimately kicked her out of it. The 'I never thought I'd be married to a fifty year old woman,' was TRULY gross. I've heard and read many n things about Ronnie Wood and he's definitely not a good guy unless you're one of the boys. If you're interested in a rock star marriage, it's highs and lows, you will probably find this book interesting. I'm glad for No that she found sobriety and a genuine place in her own life, away from being the partner of a self absorbed, insensitive husband.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This turned out to be a pretty quick read, and painfully honest in many aspects. It certainly didn't paint Ronnie Wood (the author's husband of decades) in a very flattering light, but she didn't stint on revealing unpleasant things about herself either. Some of it was really fascinating, but watching Wood falling again and again into alcoholism and drug addiction, and his seeming inability to think of anyone but himself was pretty depressing. If you are reading this to find out about the Rolling Stones, this probably isn't for you, because it really centers on Wood and those close to him (especial Keith Richards). Still, not a bad glimpse at life in the center of a phenomenon like the Rolling Stones.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for a Stones fan. And if you were big on Keith Richards already (as I was) you will still be after you read this. What an awesomely cool guy. But I digress. Ronnie Wood. If you were big on Ronnie Wood before you read this, you may be a little less enamored of him afterwards. This book did change my view on Ronnie and it really is kind of a bummer, so be warned. I don't get the impression that Jo Wood was trying to slander Ronnie at all; she was just telling the truth. What a strong woman Jo Wood was and is. I couldn't put this one down.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! I really enjoyed reading about Jo's stages of her life and all such adventures! What an interesting, raucous, loving, challenging life she has had! An easy, open and honest story about life on the road with a world famous rock band which she worked (and played) hard and living with an alcoholic husband who she obviously adored to making a new life for herself. It makes you want to be her friend, to pop round for a cup of tea and a natter....and to eat some of her tasty food!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I really enjoyed reading about Jo's life, I am so glad she shared her story. I think she did a great job of keeping things real, she didn't just skip over parts that people may think a certain way about her or her actions. I appreciate that, I love reading about the lives of rockers or their wives. I find it so fascinating. Jo is absolutely beautiful, and I think she got more beautiful as she got older. Happy that she's happy, I hope she finds a man that truly adores her,she deserves it.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written account of Jo Woods rollercoaster ride of life within the Rolling Stones bubble, enriched with plenty humorous anecdotes about their escapades with Keith Richards and the electrifying experience of joining the Rolling Stones on tour. Couldn’t put it down. Jo Wood was certainly long suffering!

[John Lyman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool, insider's view of a Rolling Stone's life. It was hard to see her getting betrayed so much. Jo seems like a very good person. I wish I could remember what exactly Ron Wood said about her, and himself, in his autobiography.

[Lorri Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book!

Great book, so glad Jo came out the other side of her fairy tale life, devastating breakup and divorce, and how she grew as a person!! Can't even imagine the life of rock and roll legends!

[dorothy cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the rock & roll lifestyle

I enjoyed this book and am delighted that Jo has achieved success and happiness on her own.
The book is inspiring however unlike most people she know doubt received millions of pounds when she got divorced?

[Lynette Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Face of 1972 - I remember Jo Wood from a long time ago!

Anyone who loves The Rolling Stones will find this book fascinating.
I’ve always been interested in how the wives live their lives - amazing that most of them have survived and lead pretty normal lives.
A good read!

[Rory Costello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not particularly good or interesting, alas. Woody is a second-rank figure in Stones history to begin with. The Stones are why I checked the book out to begin with, and there simply isn't enough on them here.

[Alli MB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book
Highly recommend reading this
Well written and absorbing
Fascinating personal insight into the hedonistic lifestyle and the work hard ,play hard ethics of the talented Musicians and artists
Fame comes at a price
Karma….

[Stew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Good Read

Although this could also be called "Life with an Alcoholic, Addictive Personality", it was still a pretty entertaining and intriguing read.