Keith Richards refers to him as "my head man". And for
once the term is entirely accurate.
Brain surgeon Andrew Law has been part of the Rolling
Stones entourage for almost two years since performing
a lifesaving operation to drill into Richards's skull
after he fell out of a coconut tree.
At first, he remained beside the wrinkly rocker at the
insistence of the band's insurers.
But he has since become 64-year- old Richards's
constant companion and is now treated as a member of
the family - as well as being on the Stones' payroll.
The reason, according to the 41-year-old New
Zealander, is probably that Richards appreciates the
chance to talk to someone outside the rock 'n' roll
circle.
"I don't think he's run into too many neurosurgeons
and I haven't run into too many rock stars."
Richards suffered his accident in April 2006 while on
holiday in Fiji during a break in the Stones' A Bigger
Bang world tour.
He and fellow-guitarist Ronnie Wood were trying to
climb the tree when he fell to the ground, hitting his
head.
He suffered a blood clot in the brain and was
airlifted to Auckland's private MercyAscot Hospital,
where Mr Law was called in to assess him at 2am.
"I wasn't too impressed being up at this time," he
said.
"So I just said, 'What the f*** have you been up to?'
I think that broke the ice. He just laughed."
Mr Law said the surgery required was far from minor.
"He was really unwell. I told him, 'I might kill you
today' - he was very aware of it. He had to put his
life in my hands."
Richards not only survived, but within six weeks was
well enough to rejoin the world tour.
Insurers demanded Mr Law go along as well and he
travelled with the group through Italy, Austria and
Germany.
He now lives with Richards, his wife Patti Hansen and
their family, dividing their time between homes in
Connecticut and West Sussex.
"We go out and have fish and chips and a beer," he
said.
Mr Law has received a rare insight into the "bizarre"
lifestyle of Richards, Mick Jagger and the rest of the
band.
They are regularly mobbed by fans and paparazzi, and
have to be smuggled by bodyguards into cars at the
back entrances of hotels.
"They know it's bizarre," he said.
"They are funny, clever people. Keith is a very
strong-willed, intelligent, very cool and clever guy
and incredibly brave. And he made me laugh."
He added that Richards's star quality was obvious. "He
has style. Even when he just gets up to make some eggs
and a piece of toast."
At the Stones' LA concert at Dodger Stadium in
November 2006, Richards found a unique way to thank Mr
Law, telling the crowd of 50,000 that he wouldn't have
been there without him.
"He's from New Zealand and he's my head man, you know
what I mean? He fixed the thing."
The surgeon said he responded just as Richards would
have expected. "I just said, 'You cheeky b*****d"'."
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