Former Rolling Stones Bassist Bill Wyman Survived on Rations in Wartime London and Lived Without Electricity and Heat Until Adulthood
Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones was known as “The Quiet One” thanks to his quiet and expressionless appearance while performing. Wyman performed with the Stones for decades and continued to make a name for himself after his years on the stage. His success is evident, but do you know how tough his childhood was growing up in war-torn London?
Wyman’s life started in poverty
London was not a safe place to be born in the late 1930s. Wyman was born in horrible poverty that left him scarred right before his nation entered a massive war. A terrace home Wyman’s parents lived in had no heating or hot water, no bathroom (and a toilet outside), gas lighting, and no electricity.
Wyman recounts on his website, Bill Wyman, that ration cards were issued to the general public in 1940, all while London faced a horribly cold winter. In fact, the River Thames froze for the first time since 1888 in January of that year.
The following August (1940), the Battle of Britain started with massive raids by German planes. Wyman was barely four years old. He wrote:
“I remember standing in the street with Mum and Dad and neighbors, seeing the sky full of formations of German bombers with heavy continuous drone … The blitz of London continued, and we were obliged to spend most nights sleeping in our air raid shelters.”
Rationing was in full force during the war in London. Wyan recalls, “managing on tins of dried milk, dried eggs, and dried potatoes. Our standard meat was rabbit, Spam, and corned beef. Chicken or duck was a rare treat. There was no fruit.” He even recounts a time when he had to eat dandelion leaves between bread because there was nothing else to eat.
Wyman’s father took a job as a builder 130 miles outside of London, and the rest of his family joined him there. But, once the United States entered the war in 1941, Wyman’s father was enlisted in the army.
School was rough for Wyman in their new home, so his mother sent him on a train, alone, back to London to live with his grandmother. Wyman was six years old. Wyman spent the rest of the war moving around the homes of family members and air raid shelters.
Wyman taught himself bass guitar
Wyman was born in Lewisham, South London, on October 24, 1936. As a child, he started learning the organ with his father. Wyman’s first job service in the RAF Regiment. After World War II, Wyman took a job as a carpenter and taught himself bass guitar in his spare time, according to IMDb.
In 1962, Wyman auditioned to be the bassist for the Rolling Stones and won the position. At the time, The Rolling Stones consisted of Mick Jagger (vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Charlie Watts (drums), Brian Jones (guitar), and Wyman (bassist).
The Rolling Stones released their first album, The Rolling Stones, in 1964. It was just the start of many successful albums. Even though Wyman stayed in the background of performances and kept a rather quiet presence, he still enjoyed the work he was doing. Wyman saw quite a bit of personal drama, including a couple of divorces, but he continued enjoying being a part of The Rolling Stones through the ’70s and ’80s.
Then, according to The Sun, Wyman announced he was leaving The Rolling Stones in 1992. His announcement was a shock to many fans because Wyman was a part of the original lineup of the band. He was replaced by Darryl Jones as bassist. Wyman did return to the band in 2012 for two songs.
Wyman told The Telegraph that “Playing with the Stones, there was always such a lot of pressure … The next album or single always had to be the best, or at least sell more.” Wyman continued, “But when I toured with the Stones, it would take a month to practice all these songs we’d been playing for 30 years.”
Wyman went on to be a record producer, inventor, bandleader, film producer, author, photographer, composer, and film score composer. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Wyman is worth about $80 million.
Wyman closed his beloved Sticky Fingers after 32 years
You can add restauranteur to Wyman’s resume. After leaving The Rolling Stones, Wyman opened his beloved restaurant, Sticky Fingers, in London. According to Wyman’s own website, Sticky Fingers was a haven for rock ‘n’ roll and great food. It was a very popular place to eat in London with its America-inspired food meant to get your fingers messy.
The restaurant was named after a Rolling Stones song. Sticky Fingers had quite a few celebrity fans, including Princess Diana and both her sons, Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, Mick Fleetwood, Ronnie Wood, Jeremy Irons, and Leslie Nielson.
Sadly, Wyman was forced to close Sticky Fingers permanently after 32 years in 2021.
