Book uncovers the band’s most notorious womanizer

Bill Wyman: The Unexpected Lothario of The Rolling Stones

Surprisingly, it turns out that the most notorious womanizer in The Rolling Stones wasn’t the often-charismatic Mick Jagger, but rather the more unassuming bassist, Bill Wyman.

During the band’s inaugural U.S. tour in 1965, hotels were frequently filled with drugs and eager women hoping to connect with the rock stars. Wyman was known to “entertain” women he met at nearly every Stones concert.

According to Bob Spitz, in his upcoming book *The Rolling Stones: A Biography*, Wyman was described as a unique “hound” for ladies, and he apparently “couldn’t sleep without fresh female companionship,” with an insatiable appetite for casual encounters.

Spitz mentions that Wyman often adjusted his position on stage, holding his bass to block glare, just to get a better view of women in the front rows. In between songs, he would send his assistant out to see if any women wanted to meet him after the show.

At 89 years old, Wyman married his first wife, Diane Corey, back in 1959, and they had a son named Stephen in 1962. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1969.

Many years later, Wyman fell in love again. Interestingly, in 1985, he became involved with Mandy Smith, a girl from Tottenham. Their relationship sparked controversy due to the significant age difference—he was 48, and she was just 13. According to Spitz, they tried to keep the details under wraps.

Wyman defended the relationship by insisting that “she was a 13-year-old woman” and claimed he believed she was 20 at their first meeting. The band didn’t take this lightly, reportedly confronting Wyman about it, while Jagger, having two daughters older than Smith, expressed his disapproval.

The pair married in 1989 when Wyman was 52 and Smith was 18, but the union was short-lived; they separated two years later, finalizing their divorce another two years after that.

In an interesting twist, Wyman’s son Stephen, age 30, married Smith’s mother, Patsy, who was 46 at the time in 1993; however, their marriage also ended just two years later.

Wyman later married model Suzanne Acosta in 1993, a woman he had known for years, and they share three daughters together.

After 30 years with The Rolling Stones, Wyman decided to step away from the band in 1993. Recently, in 2023, reports surfaced that he has reunited with them for a tribute song in honor of their late drummer, Charlie Watts.