| 27th February 2007 09:46 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Flashback: Keith Richards gets busted in Toronto
The Rock Radio online
It was 30 years ago (February 28th, 1977) that Keith Richards was arrested in Toronto for possession of heroin. Richards, who was in town to perform with the Rolling Stones at the El Mocambo Club for an upcoming live album, was awakened by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who found, among other substances, five grams of cocaine and 22 grams of heroin in his room. Richards was charged with "possession of cocaine and heroin with intent to traffic." Although Richards was eventually released on $25,000 bail, due to the trafficking charge he faced a minimum seven-year prison term if found guilty.
Richards, who due to his growing and public drug use had been on the wrong side of the law since 1967, was now facing the most serious criminal charge of his life.
He eventually received a suspended sentence after the court concluded that Richards did not bring the drugs into the country, but rather purchased the stash while in Canada.
During the trial later that year, a blind woman and die-hard Stones fan privately appealed to the judge and explained how Richards had always looked out for her when the band was on the road in Canada, making sure she was safe and cared for, and often helping find her a ride home after the shows.
Part of Richards' sentence involved playing a local charity concert for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in 1979 with his and fellow Stones guitarist Ron Wood's side band the New Barbarians. By that time, Richards had been heroin free for two years, having quit the drug cold turkey.
The El Mocambo shows in Toronto were eventually featured on the Stones' live album Love You Live.
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| 28th February 2007 09:27 AM |
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| GotToRollMe |
I've still got my "free keef" t-shirt around here somewhere...
This was scary as hell at the time it was going down. For a little while there it looked like he actually might do time. I remember breathing a huge sigh of relief when they handed down the sentence.
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| 28th February 2007 09:39 AM |
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| LadyJane |
30 years ago?!
Wow.
Every day I'd listen to the 5 o'clock news on AM radio out of Toronto.
No cable TV.
No internet.
Scary times.
I actually went to church and lit candles. It was probably Lent too.
LJ. |
| 28th February 2007 09:46 AM |
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| Nellcote |
I was awestruck upon walking into the El Mocambo in '78...Still one of the memorable moments in my Stones life... |
| 28th February 2007 10:41 AM |
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| Cocaine Eyes |
Keith's lawyer was Austin Cooper. I can't believe it's been 30 years. |
| 28th February 2007 10:54 AM |
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| jb |
This was the last great Keith period. |
| 28th February 2007 10:58 AM |
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| polytoxic |
A good a time as any to take another stroll through the CBC archives:
Radio interview for the CBC March 4, 1978. (approx: 7 mins)
Mick Jagger describes the atmosphere around Keith Richards' heroin bust in Toronto as one of complete madness. Richards is more pragmatic. "When you wake up with 25 Mounties around your bed, it's kind of depressing but it's not something I think of now. I guess it's something I know I've got to deal with," he admits in this CBC Radio interview. The band tries to put the incident behind them as their new album, recorded in the Toronto' nightclub, the El Mocambo, is released to high praise.
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-68-832-4890/arts_entertainment/rolling_stones/clip4
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| 28th February 2007 11:00 AM |
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| gimmekeef |
I remember meeting a blind fellow and his mum to buy his Tickets to Keith's "sentence"...his mum to make sure I didnt rip him off I guess.....no ebay in those days! |
| 28th February 2007 11:04 AM |
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| jb |
I do not recall Judge Seidlin at this trial. |
| 28th February 2007 11:14 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
LadyJane wrote:
30 years ago?!
Wow.
Every day I'd listen to the 5 o'clock news on AM radio out of Toronto.
No cable TV.
No internet.
Scary times.
I actually went to church and lit candles. It was probably Lent too.
LJ.
question for LJ, YGTRM and others who were fretting thru this back then:
do you think it would of been better to of had the internet then? Or do you think it would of made things worse? |
| 28th February 2007 11:18 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
question for LJ, YGTRM and others who were fretting thru this back then:
do you think it would of been better to of had the internet then? Or do you think it would of made things worse?
No way this received as much coverage as it would today...I remember very little , if any, coverage at the time... |
| 28th February 2007 11:31 AM |
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| LadyJane |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
question for LJ, YGTRM and others who were fretting thru this back then:
do you think it would of been better to of had the internet then? Or do you think it would of made things worse?
Living close to Canada, I was lucky to have SOME media access.
Tough call Sway. Better for fanatics like me. Probably worse for Keith.
I remember reading somewhere that he had a moment of reflection at the brink of Niagara Falls. Being "stuck" in Canada, he drove to the Falls and considered jumping. No idea if this story is true, but imagine the rumor mill if we DID have the internet.
All in all I'm just happy he didn't go to prison and he realized it was time to kick heroin.
Mind you...I was all of 3 years old when this occurred. Let me make that abundantly clear!!! 
LJ.
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| 28th February 2007 11:38 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
OK. This brings up another question
do you think the lack of media coverage helped Keith receive a soft sentance?
Versus, if it was today with the internet and all the insane media coverage... do you think they would of felt compelled to deal him a harsher sentence? |
| 28th February 2007 11:42 AM |
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| LadyJane |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
OK. This brings up another question
do you think the lack of media coverage helped Keith receive a soft sentance?
Versus, if it was today with the internet and all the insane media coverage... do you think they would of felt compelled to deal him a harsher sentence?
Absolutely.
Today's "climate" would have dealt him a very very harsh sentence.
The Judge was wise to realize jail was NOT the answer.
I'm NOT the "blind angel", but I did contact the Judge. Best girlfriend's Dad was a lawyer...he interceded for us and delivered our messages via letter.
So between my candles, novenas and letter to the Judge, I feel like I did my part.
LJ.
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| 28th February 2007 11:43 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
LadyJane wrote:
I'm NOT the "blind angel", but I did contact the Judge. Best girlfriend's Dad was a lawyer...he interceded for us and delivered our messages via letter.
So between my candles, novenas and letter to the Judge, I feel like I did my part.
LJ.
THANK YOU LADY JANE!!!! |
| 28th February 2007 11:45 AM |
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| LadyJane |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
THANK YOU LADY JANE!!!!
That better be sincere.
I was devastated by this incident.
YOU know howe much this man means to me.
LJ. |
| 28th February 2007 11:47 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
LadyJane wrote:
That better be sincere.
I was devastated by this incident.
YOU know howe much this man means to me.
LJ.
of course it was sincere! |
| 28th February 2007 11:52 AM |
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| LadyJane |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
of course it was sincere!
Thanks.
I'm sitting here thinking about it..looking at the Peace Bridge (to Canada)in the distance from my office window.
I'm gettin all misty.
I've loved this Band for Soooooooooo long.
LJ.
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| 28th February 2007 11:53 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
and Ron Wood's wig hardly recieves any news coverage |
| 28th February 2007 12:03 PM |
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| gimmekeef |
That story about Niagara Falls is a great tale....but not true as far as I remember.He did spend time after in Toronto with Stu.(the only one who stayed by his side)...There is a wonderful boot inc Apt #9 that they recorded while there....As far as today..well look how many times Scott Weiland was busted an never did any seriuos time so its hard to say with rehab etc what they'd do with Keith now... |
| 28th February 2007 04:52 PM |
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| fireontheplatter |
i was living in toronto at the time this happened. i had just gotten into the stones a year or so earlier. it was the buzz around to at the time.
it is unbelievable ain't it....i mean my god he had enough 'goods' on him to kill 5 people.
i wish they had filmed these shows at the el macombo.
that was a fun read and thanks for posting that article.
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| 28th February 2007 06:37 PM |
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| tookthatname |
quote:
During the trial later that year, a blind woman and die-hard Stones fan privately appealed to the judge and explained how Richards had always looked out for her when the band was on the road in Canada, making sure she was safe and cared for, and often helping find her a ride home after the shows.
ahhh.. the memories.
This woman is Rita. She was hitchiking around following the tour.
Me and my partner found her before the St. Paul show on the 78 tour. We got her in our room (as Keith has said "what else could you do" and made sure she was alright for that show.
We were following the tour, but I knew we wouldn't be at every show to take care of her. So I talked to one of the ShowCo truck drivers and told him about it. He said he would talk to the Stones roadies about helping out.
By the next show Keith had the tour lawyer, Bill Carter (no relation to Billy Beer Carter) in charge of making sure that she was within 10 feet of the stage. That was all the further she could see at that time (she was a premature baby and her eyes were burned by being in incubature too long). Keith also took care of getting her around to the shows and everything.
Last contact I had with her was at the Oshawa Benefit shows. I sold a couple bumperstickers to her sister and just chit chat it came out who she was. (of course, I wouldn't take the money after I found out). |
