Why Bill Wyman Left the Rolling Stones and How Voodoo Lounge Moved On

Bill Wyman quit the Rolling Stones in 1993 because he was simply done with the road. After 30 years and the massive Steel Wheels tour, he told the band he didn’t want to tour again—he was tired of the life, the travel, and felt he’d already done everything he could. Rumors of tension with Keith Richards or boredom with the music were secondary; Wyman later said it was mostly exhaustion and a desire to focus on his solo projects and cooking.

The Stones had to replace a founding member for Voodoo Lounge without actually hiring a permanent bassist. They brought in Darryl Jones—a jazz-trained session player who’d worked with Miles Davis—but only as a hired hand. Jones played on most of the album, though Mick Jagger laid down bass on a few tracks, and even Ron Wood added a part. The adjustment was subtle: the rhythm section got tighter and less bluesy, shifting toward a harder, more modern rock sound that fit the mid-90s. Jones never became an official Stone, but he’s been their touring bassist ever since.