Keith Richards and the Rolling Stone - threatened, Fired and Trump First back in the 80s

Photo: WireImage

As told by Rolling Stones tour producer Michael Cohl, it all happened at a 1989 concert when Keith Richards (left, pictured on tour in 1989), slammed a knife on a table and threatened Donald Trump (right) who at that point refused to leave the concert

 ...he almost came to actual blows with Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones.
 ...Richards, slammed a knife on a table and threatened Trump. 
...One of us is leaving the building – either him, or us."




Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is used to fighting talk but nearly 30 years ago it has emerged he almost came to actual blows with Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones.

As told by Rolling Stones tour producer Michael Cohl it all happened at a 1989 concert in Atlantic City when Richards, slammed a knife on a table and threatened Trump. 

The band was there for the last stop of its Steel Wheels tour and Cohl had figured out a way to score the band more money by staging the concert as a pay-per-view event, similar to a boxing match, according to Vanity Fair.

Photo: WireImage

Even in the late-‘80s, however, The Stones didn’t want to be associated with Trump and when their tour manager suggested letting Trump back their pay-per-view concert, they refused. Richards is pictured in Los Angeles in 1989

However, he needed a promoter who would be willing to put up millions for the band to play but the Stones didn’t want to be associated with Trump.

'Look, let's do a worldwide pay-per-view. We'll get a big site fee; I'll get you $3 million for a site fee and we'll keep all the money for the pay-per-view,' Cohl said during a Pollstar Live speech.

Cohl got the Stones to agree, but hadn't completely told them his plans. 

As he went around Las Vegas, no one really wanted it because 'they didn't like rock music yet'. 

And unfortunately enough, the deep-pocketed backer ended up being Trump, owner of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino.

Cohl said once he told the group who the backer was, they were to no surprise reluctant to accept a nine-digit paycheck that would be associated with The Donald, according to Vanity Fair. 

'This is all great, but we're not going to be affiliated with Donald Trump. At all. Screw you.' 

So they cut a deal with him, stipulating he wouldn’t be involved in any promotional capacity outside of Atlantic City and wouldn’t be allowed at the show itself. 

Photo: Redforms

Cohl said once he told the group (pictured) who the backer was, they were to no surprise reluctant to accept a nine-digit paycheck that would be associated with The Donald

Photo: The Life Picture Collection/Getty

But they ended up cutting a deal with Trump (right, pictured in 1989), stipulating he wouldn’t be involved in any promotional capacity outside of Atlantic City and wouldn’t be allowed at the show itself

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Cohl told Trump that he had to go or the band wouldn't be performing. Trump (pictured), who went berserk, only relented after 40 of the band's security guards showed up with 'tire irons and hockey sticks and screwdrivers' sending off Trump and his goons

As Cohl tells the story, the Stones had 'such power in those days that the 6.40pm slot on the national evening news was going to be an interview with the Stones to talk about and promote the pay-per-view'. 

However Cohl received word to come to the press room in the next building about an hour before the group was set to interview with CBS. 

To his surprise, Trump was there getting ready to do a press conference.  

Cohl made several attempts to stop Trump, but to nothing worked.

The band overheard the struggle he was having trying to get rid of Trump and called him back. 

And at that point Richards had enough. 

As Cohl tells it: 'They call me back, at which point Keith pulls out his knife and slams it on the table and says, "What the hell do I have you for? Do I have to go over there and fire him myself? One of us is leaving the building – either him, or us." I said, "No. I'll go do it. Don't you worry."'

Cohl told Trump that he had to go or the band wouldn't be performing. Trump, who went berserk, only relented after 40 of the band's security guards showed up with 'tire irons and hockey sticks and screwdrivers' sending off Trump and his goons. 

Last year, Richards weighed in on the Trump debacle, saying, 'Can you imagine President Trump? The worst nightmare. But we can't say that. Because it could happen. This is one of the wonders of this country', according to Vanity Fair. 

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