A look back at the Rolling Stones’ wild Arkansas arrest, 50 years ago

A look back at the Rolling Stones’ wild Arkansas arrest, 50 years ago..

 

 

**Rock ‘n’ Roll Roadblock: The Day the Rolling Stones Were Arrested in Fordyce, Arkansas**

🎸🇺🇸 *A Wild Chapter in Music History — 50 Years Later, Still as Entertaining as Ever*

**FORDYCE, Ark. (KARK)** – The sleepy streets of **Fordyce, Arkansas**, aren’t typically where you’d expect a rock ‘n’ roll legend to unfold. But 50 years ago, the unassuming Southern town played host to one of the **wildest moments in Rolling Stones history** — an event so bizarre and unexpected that it now lives on in the **Encyclopedia of Arkansas** as one of the state’s most unforgettable pop culture tales.

### 🎸 From Scenic Detour to Sudden Detainment

It was the summer of 1975, and **Keith Richards** and **Ronnie Wood**, guitarists for the legendary **Rolling Stones**, decided to take the “scenic route” while en route to **Dallas, Texas** for a tour stop. Their laid-back road trip through Arkansas was meant to be a break from the tour chaos — but it quickly turned into a full-fledged media circus.

While cruising through **Fordyce**, a town of fewer than 4,000 people, the band members were **pulled over in a Chevrolet Impala** under suspicion of drug possession and erratic driving. As the news spread like wildfire, locals gathered in disbelief: the **Rolling Stones — in jail? In Fordyce?!**

### 👮 The Arrest Heard Around the World

The arrest set off a chain of events that reads like a Hollywood screenplay. The Impala was impounded, and the Stones were taken into custody. Authorities reportedly found pills and drug paraphernalia, though the band insisted they were for medical purposes. According to historical records, the arresting officers had no idea who Richards and Wood were — until phones started ringing off the hook.

Within hours, the **British Embassy got involved**, concerned about the high-profile musicians being detained. Meanwhile, calls began coming in from music industry executives and media outlets demanding answers.

### 🕵️ Secret Service to the Rescue

Perhaps the most unexpected twist in the story came when a **former Secret Service agent**, who was friendly with the band through security contacts, stepped in to mediate the situation. After some behind-the-scenes negotiations and a few favors called in from high places, **the charges were dropped**, the Stones were released, and the Impala was returned.

The band quickly resumed their journey to Dallas — but not without leaving Fordyce forever etched in rock history.

### 📖 A Legendary Entry in Arkansas Lore

Now commemorated in the **Encyclopedia of Arkansas**, the story has become the stuff of local legend. Residents still remember the day their quiet town became the center of international headlines. Some even claim to have been on hand to catch a glimpse of the handcuffed rockers.

 

> “It was the most exciting thing to happen here in decades,” one Fordyce native recalls. “Keith Richards in our jail? That’s not something you forget.”

### 🧷 The Stones Roll On

Fifty years later, the Rolling Stones are still touring, still recording, and still finding ways to defy expectations. But ask any diehard fan or Arkansas historian, and they’ll tell you: **one of the most rock ‘n’ roll moments in the band’s history happened not in London or L.A. — but right in the heart of Arkansas.**