Bill Wyman has been described as The Rolling Stones’ most prolific womaniser.
A new biography claims the quiet bassist – rather than ladies’ men Mick Jagger and Keith Richards – led the group’s excesses when it came to bedroom antics during their early years.
The 89-year-old musician, who rose to fame as the Stones’ bassist, is the subject of a forthcoming book by Bob Spitz, which revisits the band’s 1960s tours and personal lives.
According to his account of the group, Wyman’s behaviour during the band’s first US tour in 1965 stood out amid an atmosphere already marked by widespread drug use and groupie culture, as the Stones became one of the defining acts of the era.
In The Rolling Stones: The Biography, Bob wrote: “Bill was hands-down the band’s unrivalled p****hound,” adding he was apparently unable to sleep without “fresh female companionship” and saying “his appetite for casual sex was unquenchable”.
The book also describes how Bill would identify women from the stage during performances, before asking assistants to approach them with invitations to meet after shows.
Bill married his first wife, Diane Cory, in 1959, and the couple had a son, Stephen, before they divorced in 1969.
He later married Mandy Smith in 1989, with the relationship attracting public attention at the time.
The pair separated after two years and later divorced.
Bob also details tensions within the band over Bill’s personal life, writing his bandmates disapproved of aspects of his relationships.
Mick is said to have been among those who objected.
Bill went on to marry Suzanne Accosta in 1993, with whom he has three daughters.
That same year, he announced his departure from The Rolling Stones after more than three decades with the group.
In 2023, Bill reunited with the band for a recording in tribute to their late drummer, Charlie Watts.
Bill was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016.
Born William George Perks, he is renowned for helping shape one of rock’s most influential sounds for three decades after starting off with piano lessons in his youth before going on to contribute to the Stones’ global success, recording numerous chart-topping albums and touring worldwide.
Beyond music, he has pursued photography, writing and archaeology.
