The Untouchable 'Sixth Rolling Stone': Ian Stewart's Quiet Grip on the Band's Sound

Most people think the Rolling Stones are a five-piece, but their entire early sound was anchored by a sixth man who was never allowed to be an official member. Ian Stewart (“Stu”) was a co-founder and the band’s original pianist, but manager Andrew Loog Oldham thought his clean-cut look didn’t fit the rebellious image, so he kicked him out of the lineup before they even released a single. Stu stayed on as road manager, chauffeur, and most importantly, the house pianist on nearly every Stones record for the next two decades.

His boogie-woogie piano style—rooted in Chicago blues and barrelhouse—gave the band their raw, rhythmic backbone on hits like “Honky Tonk Women,” “Brown Sugar,” and “Let It Bleed.” Keith Richards once said that without Stu’s left hand, the Stones would have sounded completely different. Stu never complained about his backseat role; he just showed up, played, and kept the band grounded. After he died in 1985, the Stones dedicated their Dirty Work album to him and later inducted him into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an official member—a title the band wished they’d given him while he was alive.