Bill Wyman's Quiet Life After the Stones: Marriage, Blues, and the Rhythm Kings

Most rock stars don’t walk away from the biggest band in the world to get married and play small blues clubs. But Bill Wyman did. After 30 years as the Rolling Stones’ bassist, he officially left the band in 1992—right before their massive Steel Wheels tour ended—and married Suzanne Accosta in 1993. He was 56, she was 24, and they’ve been together ever since.

Instead of fading into a retirement of nostalgia, Wyman built a second act that was quieter but still musical. He formed Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings in 1997, a rotating supergroup of blues and rock veterans who played low-key concerts and released albums that felt more like basement jams than stadium shows. He also opened the Sticky Fingers restaurants, wrote books, and pursued his photography. The shift was less about losing fame and more about finally living on his own terms.