On this day (October 24) in 1936, William George Perks was born in Lewisham, London, England. Legally changing his name to Bill Wyman in 1964, he is best known for his time as the bassist for British rock legends The Rolling Stones. From 1962 until 1993, Wyman quietly kept rhythm on the Stones’ most enduring tunes — including 11 number-one hits — as the band’s global presence expanded and their place in music history solidified.
Since ending his 31-year tenure with The Rolling Stones, Wyman has continued to release new music — both as a solo artist and with his blues-rock outfit the Rhythm Kings, which he formed in 1997. He released his ninth solo album, Drive My Car, in August 2024.
Today, we’re highlighting the invaluable musical contributions of Bill Wyman in honor of his 90th birthday.
Bill Wyman’s Grandmother Heavily Influenced Him
One of six children born to a bricklayer and his wife, air-raid sirens were an all-too-frequent soundtrack to Bill Wyman’s childhood in wartime London. And living with a stern military father meant that physical affection was often in short supply.
Nonetheless, he has characterized his upbringing as a happy one, taking piano lessons from his grandmother, Florence French.
“It’s through her I really got into music,” Wyman told Louder in 2024. “She got me into the local church choir which started it all. She did everything. Everything that I do now, it’s all from her.”
Military Service and Musical Beginnings
Bill Wyman left school before sitting for his final exams, as his father had found him a bookkeeping job and insisted he take it. In January 1955, however, he was called for two years of national service in the Royal Air Force.
After signing up for an extra year of military service, Wyman headed to Oldenburg Air Force Base in West Germany. This stint also served as his introduction to rock and roll music through radio broadcasts on the American Armed Forces Network.
In 1956, Wyman bought a guitar. The following year, he formed a skiffle group with Casey Jones, who later led Casey Jones and the Engineers, which briefly featured Eric Clapton.
After his military service ended, Wyman returned to London, where he switched to bass and joined a group called the Cliftons.
His pivot was purely for practical reasons, as the Cliftons found themselves with three guitarists and no bassist.
“I said, ‘Somebody’s got to play bass,’” he recalled. “The lead guitarist said, ‘I’m not.’ The rhythm guitar said, ‘I’m not.’ So I said, ‘I suppose I’m gonna have to do it.’ I didn’t have a bass guitar, so I had to make one.”
The Rolling Stones
Bill Wyman left the Cliftons in mid-1962, replacing Dick Taylor as the bassist for an R&B band called the Rolling Stones.
At 25, he was the oldest member, and also its most unassuming. Wyman was never particularly keen on the rock-and-roll excesses for which his bandmates became famous.
“I never had any, nor did Charlie [Watts, the late Rolling Stones drummer], we were always completely clean,” he said. “We had responsibilities, so we behaved ourselves.”
Solo Work
In 1974, Bill Wyman became the first member of the Rolling Stones to record a solo album with Monkey Grip. The LP reached number 39 on the UK charts and even managed to crack the U.S. Billboard 200.
Two years later, he followed with Stone Alone. And in 1981, Wyman notched a top 20 solo single with “(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star”, a dance track he’d originally written for Ian Drury.
Wyman continued his side projects throughout his time with the Stones, including a short-lived cover band called Willie and the Poor Boys that also featured Watts and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.
Departure from the Stones
In January 1993, Bill Wyman put longstanding rumors to rest when he announced his exit from the Rolling Stones.
His departure came amid financial struggles for the band and a bitter feud between lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. And according to Wyman, the decision was long overdue.
“I should have left in the ’80s when it was falling apart,” he told Classic Rock magazine in 2024. “I hung on for a three-tour ending across ‘89 and ‘90 [three legs of the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour], after seven years of nothing, and I’d ended up with a bank overdraft of £200,000, because we weren’t earning anything.”
In 1997, Wyman formed the Rhythm Kings, featuring guitarists Peter Frampton and Albert Lee.
He has reunited with the Stones sporadically over the years, including on the song “Live By the Sword” on the band’s 2023 album Hackney Diamonds.
Featured image by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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