Fans of the legendary rock group The Rolling Stones were left wondering if one member regrets leaving, as they have been “forgotten”.
Though the group could not have achieved the success they did without this member, some fans believe they have been forgotten by casual listeners. Those who remember the former member were full of praise for his input into the group’s sound, but wondered whether he regrets his decision to leave. It does not appear to be the case though, as fans recalled documentary appearances and current projects from Bill Wyman which would suggest he is more than pleased with his decision to leave. One user took to the r/RollingStones subreddit and asked: “I wonder if Bill Wyman regrets leaving The Rolling Stones? He’s been gone for around thirty-five years now and he’s forgotten to most casual fans.
“He’s missed out on the biggest tours in music history, countless millions of dollars, all the fame and the benefits that come with it. Do you think he regrets leaving?” Fans were quick to reply to the question, and believe Wyman has no hang-ups about departing the band.
Wyman was a staple of the band from 1962 to 1993, and has only appeared with the group on a handful of occasions after his departure. He appeared in 2012 to play on Honky Tonk Women and It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (but I Like It) at a pair of London shows, but has not returned to regularly touring with The Rolling Stones.
Wyman’s last appearance on a Rolling Stones album as a full-time member was 1989’s Steel Wheels. He contributed to Hackney Diamonds in 2023. The recording for Hackney Diamonds came at the request of late drummer Charlie Watts, and marked the first time Wyman had recorded with the band in thirty years.
The bass player insists he left the band earlier than 1993, but it was only around that time they accepted his resignation from the band. Speaking to the NME last year, Wyman shared: “They refused to accept I had left. It was not until 1993, when they were starting to get together to tour in 1994, when they said, ‘You have actually now left, haven’t you?’ And I said, ‘I left two years ago’. They finally accepted it, so they say I left in 1993.
“I just had enough. It was half my life and I thought, ‘I have got other things I want to do’. I wanted to do archaeology, write books, have photo exhibitions and play charity cricket. I used to read about ancient cultures while I was on the road and take photos as well. I just had this whole other life I wanted to live.”
Fans believe Wyman’s word, too, with many suggesting he seems much happier without spending his time in The Rolling Stones. One fan wrote: “Based on his book, which was very much about him not getting as much money as he should have, no. I think he’d rather do his own thing and control the finances.”
Another praised Wyman for his role in the group and suggested casual fans would do well to learn more of his work. They wrote: “He obviously has enough money so he doesn’t need to worry and he can do whatever he wants. No need to be gone months at a time on long tours. Sounds like a pretty enviable position to be in, honestly. The casual fans probably didn’t understand his role in the band when he was still in it anyway, so I doubt he cares.”
A third added: “Having achieved all that stuff early in his life, I completely respect the decision not to keep doing it.Some musicians seem to never give it up, they still play even in small clubs, til they die.
“I’m one of those, I think Mick [Jagger], Keith [Richards], Charlie [Watts] and Ronnie [Wood] were all that way. You just get something special out of the experience and want to keep doing it. I’m in restaurants, they’re in stadiums but we have that in common. Doing it til death.”
Bill’s had a lovely life in and out of the stones..friends, Music projects, history, metal detecting.. restaurants..auctioning his stuff..fair play to a man who knows his own soul ..and not trapped into living a life that other people think you should have or living for greed.