Rumour has it rock legends the Rolling Stones are set to ditch guitarist Ronnie Wood from their planned 2010 tour because of his alcoholism. Band insiders say the group can no longer get much-needed insurance for their live acts because of his unreliable nature and declining health.
Previously, Ronnie’s ex-wife Jo has kept his wellbeing in check while he was touring. However, she was ditched late in 2008, after 23 years of marriage, when Ronnie took up with 21-year-old Russian waitress Ekaterina Ivanova. That relationship has now also hit the rocks, with the young woman alleging that the ageing rocker’s alcohol dependency is now out of control.
A source close to Stones frontman oick Jagger says, “oick has always relied on Jo to be his conduit through to Ronnie. He’s relied on her to get Ronnie to work and to keep him well enough to pass a medical for the tour. Without Jo, Ronnie would never have managed to go on tour – you can’t do it without insurance and you won’t get insurance without the medical.”
The insider continues, “oick has washed his hands of Ronnie. The feeling is that he can’t come back after this one. Ronnie has always been a bit lost and, without Jo, nobody can reach him.”