“Keith Richards: Under the Influence,” Morgan Neville’s documentary that promises to give an unprecedented look into the sounds and influences of the Rolling Stones legend, will have its worldwide premiere in September on Netflix.
Neville received an Academy Award in 2014 for the documentary on backup singers, “Twenty Feet From Stardom,” which includes mentions of the Stones’ classic “Gimme Shelter.”
“There’s no one who could bring this unprecedented look into the musical influences of Keith Richards to life as distinctively as Morgan Neville,” said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix veep of original documentary programming. “Our viewers around the world are going to love the rare moments he has captured.”
Neville’s credits also include documentaries on Pearl Jam, Johnny Cash and Ray Charles, but, he said, “If there’s a Mount Rushmore of rock ’n’ roll, Keith’s face is surely on it. He has always represented the soul of rock music—for all of the light and dark shades that implies.”
“To my relief, Keith Richards turned out to be a real man — full of humor, knowledge and wisdom,” said Neville. “That’s the real Keith we’ve worked to capture in our film, and I’m honored to bring it to a global audience via Netflix.”
“Keith Richards: Under the Influence” visits key people and places who have influenced the musician: From Chicago, where Richards first encountered Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, to Nashville, where he explores his long love of country music, to New York, where he recorded his most recent solo album and collaborated with the likes of Steve Jordan and Waddy Wachtel. Friends like Tom Waits also appear.
Neville is producing the film, along with Justin Wilkes (“What Happened, Miss Simone?,” “Under African Skies”) and Jane Rose (“Crossfire Hurricane,” “Shine a Light”). It premieres Sept. 18 on Netflix.
