‘I toured with the Rolling Stones – one thing concerned me every day’
EXCLUSIVE: Jo Wood was married to Ronnie Wood for more than 20 years and spent several of those on tour with the Rolling Stones
Jo Wood was thrust into the world of rock 'n' roll when she married The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood in 1985. The pair welcomed two children; Leah, 46, and Tyrone, 41, during their 26-year marriage. Jo, 70, also shares a son named Jamie, 50, with her first husband Peter Greene.
Jo, who recently released a new book, accompanied the rock band on tour for years, starting when she met the musician in 1977. The TV personality has been open her experiences travelling around the world with the band, now consiting of Ronnie, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who became known for their wild lifestyle.
But Jo admitted one thing did concern her during those days, and that was newcomers who would party with the band and try and keep up with their way of living.
Speaking exclusively to Express Online, Jo said: "There were people that used to come out, especially in Paris, who would try and keep up with the boys. One guy died of an overdose. There was all sorts of dramas back in the '80s."
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The entrepreneur confessed there were many days on tour that she can't remember due to excessive alcohol and drug consumption. But while Jo could see those around her becoming addicted, she managed to avoid it.
Revealing how she did this, Jo said: "I don't believe that I have an addictive personality like some people. I've always had the ability to say I'll have one drink and that's it or have a few and suffer with a hangover."
"I remember when I used to smoke joints and one day I was sitting on the couch and I thought I didn't want to do it anymore. My dad wasn't an addict and neither was my mum.
"I saw people that got addicted really quickly and I could see it and I thought how lucky I am that I'm not like that."
When her children were old enough, Jo revealed they accompanied the band on tour too.
Detailing the positive impact it had, Jo divulged: "They loved going on tour. It was great. They learnt a lot about different countries and cultures because we went to all sorts of places like Japan and Australia. I can't say they were exactly good with the tutor but they're brilliant travellers now because we travelled so much.
"Once my kids came on tour, the other kids started coming too. They're so close to all the other kids to this day. It was a wonderful thing and they always talk about how much they loved it, even now."
Jo's wild partying days are well and truly over and she has turned her attention to writing in recent years. She released her biography, Hey Jo: A Rock and Roll Fairytale, in 2013 and has now published a fiction book titled The Resurrection of Flo.
Sharing an insight into the book's premise, Jo said: "It's all about inspiring women to not fall victims. We all go through heartache and breakups and all sorts, but it's about being able to pick yourself up and being able to start again, that's exactly what Flo does. It's about not being a victim and enjoying life."
She added: "You have to get inspiration from somewhere, so emotionally I know what it's like to have a breakup after a marriage. I know the feelings but Flo's a different story to mine."
Jo admitted she never intended to write another book, but got inspired after going on a date. It was after that that her friend Vin, who is one half of award-winning fashion designers VIN + OMI, told her to start making notes.
"I actually wrote about 52,000 words on my notes on my phone and then my son-in-law made me go and get a new laptop. He put it into Word and then I had to fill in the story and add bits. I enjoyed it immensely, it was great," Jo gushed.
