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March 11, 2010
Ron Wood Works Towards Sobriety – Considers Marriage
The drama that was Ron Wood’s life seems to have subsided. The Rolling Stones guitarist is said to be working hard to stay sober, and is “desperate to give up for good.” There’s some high-powered support for Wood, which is being credited as a great help to him.
Including on Wood’s support team are fellow Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, long-time friend and former Faces band mate Rod Stewart, as well as pop star Elton Jon. Jagger reportedly calls Wood regularly to check up on him, and offer encouragement.
Perhaps even more encouragement and support comes by way of Wood’s new girlfriend. Wood has been seeing 30-year-old Ana Arujo since around the beginning of the year, and it is said that the Brazilian beauty has had a very positive influence on his life. So positive in fact, that is is being reported by the Daily Express that Wood is considering marrying her.
Wood split not long ago from Ekaterina Ivanova, ending a tumultuous affair that certainly kept the two in the spotlight, and did not seem to do much good for Wood’s struggles with addiction. The affair ended after a particularly nasty fight between the two that resulted in the police being called to the scene.
In other Rolling Stones news, a recent story in Rolling Stone magazine quotes guitarist Keith Richards regarding the possibility of a new Stones album in the not-too-distant future.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we did some recording later this year,” Richards said. “I don’t know how the rest of them feel about roadwork at the moment. Maybe we’ll search for a different way for the Stones to go back on the road.”
In contrast to Ron Wood, Richards seems to have no problems with the relationship he has with alcohol. After rumors that he had given up drinking, Richards had this to say: “Listen, the rumors of my sobriety are greatly exaggerated. And we’ll leave it at that.”
Leaves little doubt why actor Johnny Depp chose Richards to model certain characteristics of his Pirates of The Caribbean character, “Captain Jack Sparrow” after Richards.
January 6, 2010
Rolling Stones Deny Rumors of Tour This Year
Rolling Stones fans are likely to be a bit disappointed to hear word from the group’s publicist that the venerable rockers do not have plans for a tour during 2010. Public relations firm Rogers & Cowan have released a statement that reads:
“Following recent UK media speculation, The Rolling Stones would like to make it clear, there are no plans at the moment for the band to tour in 2010.”
Now I suppose we could spend some time dissecting this statement, and making note of the fact that it contains the words “at the moment.” We could speculate about whether this means they don’t have plans, but could be planning to make plans, but it’s probably best just to wait and see what happens. It’s not like we’re suffering through a drought where rock star rumors are concerned.
There are a few good reasons to harbor some doubt about the tour rumors, after all. First, one must consider the source. The rumors of a 2010 Stones tour were reportedly started by guitarist Ron Wood’s former squeeze, Ekaterina Ivanova. Ivanova was said to have leaked the news to friends after hearing it from directly from Wood.
Considering what state of mind Wood could have been in at the time, it’s plausible to consider the possibility that it was just nonsense. Wood’s problems with drugs and alcohol are well documented, and according to Ivanova, Wood’s drinking and drug use continued throughout their stormy relationship.
On the other hand, we also might wonder about Ivanova’s motives. Having just recently signed on as one of the “housemates” on Britain’s Celebrity Big Brother TV program. She’s already generating the attention she seems to have grown accustomed to – and perhaps enjoys a great deal – by employing a unique and unexpected tactic that seems to have made her the center of attention on the program for the moment.
The weapon of choice? Flatulence. Yes, you read that right. After a fellow contestant lamented his inability to indulge himself quietly due to the fear of embarrassment, Ivanova is reported to have given her fellow contestant a quick lesson, but obviously omitted the finer points of the silent delivery.
It’s not hard to imagine that someone willing to go to such lengths in order to garner attention on television is someone who relishes it. Could the rumor of the Stones tour be another one of Ivanova’s attention-getting schemes? She was quite successful setting the fans talking, the printing presses humming and the electrons flitting about the internet when the rumors surfaced.
If the stories about Ron Wood’s continued and frequent alcohol and drug abuse problems are true, it would introduce doubt about his eligibility to join up with the rest of the group for a world tour. It certainly would not be the first time that a performer was on tour and off the wagon at the same time, but it also raises questions about the tolerance the other band members have for such behavior while touring.
We’re just barely into the new year, so there’s plenty of time left for tour announcements, if they are forthcoming. Even if the Stones do not tour this year, it could leave Ron Wood available to reunite with The Faces. How they would deal with Wood’s alleged lack of sobriety is uncertain.
For a formerly unknown barroom waitress, Ekaterina Ivanova comes out of this deal smelling like a rose. Well, perhaps that’s a bad metaphor for the times, but there’s no denying that she has played her hand (and other regions of her anatomy) well if she set out to make a name for herself for herself as a “celebrity.” The folks at Celebrity Big Brother surely seem to be buying into it.
December 14, 2009
Ron Wood: The ‘Evil Goblin King’
Now who could have ever seen this coming? A 20-year-old Russian beauty hooks up with a 61-year-old rock star who has serious alcohol abuse issues and had just come off a stint in rehab. If that doesn’t sound like a match made in heaven, I don’t know what does!
Late word is that the romance has run its course, and Wood’s former lover, Ekaterina Ivanova, is now dishing up the dirt on the rock star, and probably collecting a nice chunk of change for her version of the story.
Despite the claims of “true love,” and other proclamations from the couple during their time together, it’s more likely to have been a case of a star-struck 20-year-old and a world-famous celebrity reliving that part of his past that involved bedding attractive young females.
Obviously young Ekaterina did not have the experience that’s required to deal with an alcohol-fueled rock star, unlike his ex-wife Jo, who somehow managed to stick with Wood for more than two decades.
Ivanova tells Hello! magazine that living with Wood was something her friends jokingly described as “the princess trapped in the tower.” The couple was living in a gothic Ruxley Tower at the time; something that may sound quite romantic, but apparently wasn’t the blissful existence that one might imagine under such circumstances.
“He went all Jekyl and Hyde. I’d be trapped there with an evil goblin king,” Ivanova said. Not terribly surprising to hear knowing how some alcoholics behave while under the influence. Alcohol tends to bring out the worst in some people, and if Ivanova’s tales are to be believed, Ron Wood may be one of them.
His recent arrest following allegations of domestic assault further raises those suspicions.
Ivanova will move on with her youth, good looks, a bigger bank account and a good many years ahead of her, while Wood, on the other hand, must be wondering what he was thinking when he hooked up with a 20-year-old. Is he pining for former wife Jo, as a friend of Wood recently reported?
Jo says she has happily moved on, and reports that she got over the break-up in a couple of months. Even so, the former model is offering her ex the opportunity to spend Christmas with her and the rest of the family for a holiday celebration, although the invite comes with one condition. No drinking.
That’s a restriction that the young Ivanova was either unable or unwilling to impose.
November 30, 2009
News of Rolling Stones World Tour Leaked
Reports from the U.K. indicate that the Rolling Stones have plans to embark on a world tour sometime next year. Perhaps it is not surprising to learn that the source of the leaked information was Ron Wood’s 20-year-old girlfriend, Ekaterina Ivanova.
The U.K. tabloids have kept the couple in their crosshairs since the Rolling Stones guitarist left his wife of two decades to shack up with the Russian beauty during the summer of 2008. The couple has reportedly endured a somewhat rocky relationship, with reports of knock-down-drag-out domestic disputes, and disagreements on the subject of children.
Although Ivanova is said to be keen on the idea of becoming a mom, Wood is reportedly dead set against the notion, and at the age of 62, it’s hard to blame the guy.
Now it seems that Ivanova has landed herself in hot water with Ron again, and it’s quite likely that the rest of the Stones are not too thrilled with her either. Although she was instructed not to tell anyone about the plans for the 2010 world tour, she seemed unable to prevent herself from sharing the news with a few friends. From there, the news made its way to the pages of The Sun.
With recent word that Rod Stewart has decided to sit out an upcoming 2010 Faces tour, the Stones alleged plans for a tour next year make one wonder if the Faces might be minus yet another member as they work out the details of their road trip.
With the Stones last tour, A Bigger Bang, netting them nearly $500 million between 2005 and 2007, another tour may be well worth Wood’s time, in light of the hefty divorce settlement that resulted from his split with ex-wife Jo. The settlement is one that is likely to make a significant dent in his savings account.
Whether his new squeeze will be an integral and influential force on tour as his former wife Jo was is doubtful, given the history of their relationship thus far.
Although no specific dates or venues are yet known, perhaps that information will be revealed soon, since the secret is now out regarding the tour. Stones fans the world over are probably anxious to hear if the legendary rockers will be featured at a venue in their vicinity.
September 16, 2009
Keith Wants To Record While Ronnie Squabbles With Girlfriend
We don’t normally get too many juicy details about squabbles that take place between celebrities behind closed doors unless the paparazzi happen to be lurking nearby, but apparently a recent domestic dispute between Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood and his girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova got to the point where the neighbors could overhear some of the fight, which apparently was quite heated and even led to Ivanova threatening to kill herself.
Neighbors report that the couple fights frequently, although this latest dustup was one for the record books, and resulted in police being called to the scene. It was apparent that no suicides or other forms of physical violence were evident since police left after questioning the couple.
Meanwhile, band mates Mick Jagger and Keith Richards seem to be fully immersed in the music business, with Richards having just completed recording some material with Jack White.
Richards is hoping to begin work on a new Stones record next year and there are some signs that White could be involved. “I couldn’t fuel that rumor any more than to say Jack and I are in touch,” according to Richards.
Both Richards and Mick Jagger are said to be pouring over outtakes from the group’s 1972 album Exile on Main Street in preparation for a new deluxe edition that will feature some of those excluded tracks.
“There’s new songs on there, stuff we’ve forgotten about,” Richards says. “Mick and I were looking at each other like, ‘Ah, did we do that?’”
Is it any wonder I cannot help but think of Johnny Depp’s swashbuckling character from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies whenever I see Keith Richards? Swashbuckling yes. Sober? Well, perhaps not.
Richards has been cited as an inspiration by Depp for his style during his portrayal of Capt. Jack Sparrow. A fact which apparently conjured no negative feelings towards Depp by Richards, since he appeared in the third Pirates movie, playing the part of Capt. Sparrow’s father. Credit to Keith Richards for being a good sport.
See The Mirror for more on Ron and Ekaterina’s rowdy row and Rolling Stone for more on Richards and Jagger.
