Many Rolling Stones Autographs Were Forged by Other Members of the Band

The Rolling Stones, Hyde Park, 1969 by Barrie Wentzell

In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman reveals the secrets of the band's autograph sessions in the 1960s.  He acknowledges that the band would all sign each other's names on memorabilia to cut down time spent signing items. What do you think - is a Bill Wyman autograph signed by Mick Jagger worth more or less than the "authentic" one?

According to Wyman, "...there were stacks and stacks of autographed books, programs to be signed, and we just used to grab a bunch each and sign everybody's name. We all learned to sign each other's signatures (laughs). Except for Charlie. He wouldn't sign anything. But me, Keith, Mick and Brian all could sign each other's autographs. When I see them now for sale, I know that, you know, two of them are not theirs – originals and all that. But it was the only way to do it, because you couldn't pass this stuff around. You didn't have time. You were onstage in 10 minutes."

This sort of practice isn't all that uncommon. Classic movie star Jean Harlow famously had her mother sign many of her autographs, but experts know that her mother had a very bold way of writing while Jean's writing was more of a scrawl. This just goes to demonstrate how important it is to know the signing habits of a particular celebrity if you (or your trusted autograph dealer like Collector's Shangri-La) aren't there in person to witness the actual signing.