Keith Richards gets some satisfaction from new award honoring
Connecticut residents
[March 06, 2025]
By DAVE COLLINS
Appearing in a building of books instead of a stadium with amps, Rolling
Stones guitarist Keith Richards was honored Wednesday with a new award
that recognizes Connecticut residents for their creativity, passion and
generosity.
Richards, 81, who is British, has kept a home in Connecticut since 1985.
He became the first recipient of the Connecticut Governor's Award of
Excellence, receiving a custom-designed medallion and hearty applause
from dozens attending the ceremony at the Westport Library.
Gov. Ned Lamont, a Stones fan, praised Richards for his music career and
philanthropy to local organizations, and the state's first lady, Annie
Lamont, placed the medallion around his neck.
“Well, thank you very much. And thank you Connecticut,” Richards said
before pausing briefly. “You kind of get lost for words with something
like this around your neck. All I gotta say is, you know, I’ve been here
for 40 years, and it’s been a great place for me.”
Richards said he moved from New York City to the leafy, wealthy suburb
of Weston about 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the northeast so his
children could get some fresh air.
“The family's had a great life," he said. "The kids grew up great and
incredibly happy about everything.”
Richards and his wife, model and actress Patti Hansen, have two adult
children. He also has two children with ex-wife Anita Pallenberg.
Another child with Pallenberg, Tara, died from sudden infant death
syndrome in 1976.
Lamont noted Richards' support of local organizations that serve people
with disabilities including SPHERE, an education, recreation and arts
group, and The Prospector Theater, which operates a movie theater and
online popcorn business.
“Keith Richards is an amazing member of our community, and we’re so
proud that he’s here,” Lamont said. “And I’m so proud for the
opportunity to give him this award in excellence.”
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Keith Richards, left, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont smile
during a ceremony for the presentation of the first Governor's Award
of Excellence in Westport, Conn., Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP
Photo/Seth Wenig)
 The Democratic governor also joked
that Richards is one of his “top political advisers,” through his
music. Lamont played snippets of Stones' songs including “Start Me
Up” — saying it was an inspiration for helping small businesses —
and “You Can't Always Get What You Want” — his answer to state
lawmakers' requests to increase the budget, he said.
The award medallion was designed by a Connecticut state trooper,
Danny Carvalho, to which Richards may have raised an eyebrow during
his earlier, hard-partying days. A fashion designer from Enfield,
Justin Haynes, designed the ribbon attached to the medallion.
The Westport Library's executive director, William Harmer, had an
extra gift he presented to Richards, one Harmer said was more
prestigious than a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or a personal
parking space in Times Square: a Westport Library card.
Richards has an affinity for libraries, calling them a great and
publicly owned equalizer in society.
“Without our books and without knowing things, and without their
special meaning — this is not movies,” he said. “This is not
somebody drawing you images or anything. This is a book, and you
have the movie in your head. And it’s very important that we keep
our books unburnt.”
Richards is considered one of the greatest rock guitarists of all
time. He is a founding member of the Rolling Stones, which formed in
1962 as a blues band and gained popularity with original songs
including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," “Gimme Shelter” and
“Sympathy for the Devil.” He also has released solo recordings and
ones with other artists.
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