Bill Wyman's New Project is a Deep Dive Into London History

For 31 years, Bill Wyman was the bass player for the Rolling Stones, making appearances on some of the best-loved rock albums in musical history. (Though it’s probably worth mentioning here that Wyman’s time in the band also had its more unsettling side.) Since leaving the band, Wyman has continued on with his solo work, and was the subject of a 2019 documentary, The Quiet One, which sparked controversy upon its release.

Wyman has also been making forays into the literary side of things — with the latest example of this being a look into the history of one London neighborhood. Bill Wyman’s Chelsea: From Medieval Village to Cultural Capital was published in the U.K. in June, and focuses on his accumulated knowledge of the region, where he’s worked for over 60 years.

In a recent interview with Far Out, Wyman explained that the book’s origins began when he moved to Chelsea in 1982. “I then walked every street in Chelsea, taking photos of anything that I thought was unusual, different or interesting, from door knockers to weathervanes to plaques on the walls,” he told the magazine. That led to him going through the neighborhood, learning about local history building by building over the course of four years.

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He also mentioned that he’s presently at work on a solo album, featuring a blend of original songs and covers. In the latter category, he revealed that the covers were of songs by “J Cale, Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, John Prine.” As he told Far Out, the album has been mixed and is set for a fall release.