How Ian Stewart Got Kicked Out of the Rolling Stones' Public Lineup (But Stayed for 25 Years)

Ian Stewart was a founding member of the Rolling Stones and their original pianist when the band formed in 1962. He played on the early demos, helped recruit Charlie Watts, and co-wrote the music for “It’s All Over Now.” But manager Andrew Loog Oldham thought Stewart was too rough-looking—he was balding, broad-shouldered, and looked more like a truck driver than a pop star—so Oldham asked him to step out of the public lineup in 1963. The band reluctantly agreed, but only if Stewart stayed as their road manager and session pianist.

Stewart played on nearly every Stones recording from “Come On” through the late 1970s, including iconic tracks like “Brown Sugar” and “Start Me Up.” He also organized the backline gear, kept the tour bus running, and was the only person who could mediate fights between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The band called him “the sixth Stone,” and when the Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, Keith Richards insisted Stewart be inducted alongside them. Stewart died of a heart attack in 1985, but his piano still appears on posthumous releases—the band