Start Up the Eighties

One such occasion for the band to play together came with some sad circumstances. On December 12, 1985, Ian Stewart, the piano player who had cofounded the band and been semi–kicked out, died of a massive heart attack. Stewart was only forty-seven, a fairly young age for a heart attack, and his death shocked the Stones. Despite being denied a front-row place in the band, Stewart had been with the band behind the scenes throughout their entire career. He had been playing piano for them, helping to organize their tours, and also serving to remind them where they came from.

The Stones had not played a concert together since their 1982 European tour, but they decided they had to do something for their fallen friend. On February 23, 1986, they played a private show at London's 100 Club for family and friends. Their set list did not include any Stones songs, but all classic blues numbers, exactly the type of stuff Stu would have wanted to hear. Losing him was a huge blow to the band, and with all of them following different impulses at the time, their future as a band looked bleak.