December 3, 1965, the day Keith Richards gets buzzed. Or maybe zapped is a better word.

From Keith’s book “Life.”
“My most spectacular one was in Sacramento…..He has a good laugh at the memory of finding himself in a hospital and hearing a doctor say, “Well, they either wake up or they don’t.”

Keith Richards near electrocution at the Memorial Auditorium 1965. It was the second time the Stones came to Sacramento, coming off an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. About 4 songs into their set, Keith stepped up to the microphone and got a jolt of electricity that put him on his butt. Some who were in the audience recall seeing a blue flash, or sparks and wondered if he was dead. Concert promoter Jeff Hughson heard a loud crack and thought it was a gun! “Oh no, someone shot Keith”!..My question was did the show go on, I have read in some places it did. Well it didn’t. Mick Martin who was at the backstage door, saw Keith being carried out and he looked kind of “blue”. The concert it turns out…did end at this point. The Stones didn’t carry on, they just left. Without Keith, come on, it just isn’t the Stones. Anyway, that’s the way it went down 46 years ago.

http://www.eagle969.com/What-Really-Happened-to-Keith/11278801?pid=186190&archive=1

This is an original flyer from the show in Sacramento I recently purchased.

All photos from concert are copyright 2005, Michael C. Peart

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