The hellraising Rolling Stones guitarist was high on drugs with the band’s hired saxophone player, Bobby Keys, when they accidentally set fire to the bathroom at the original property - owned by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner - in Chicago.
Keith reveals in his autobiography, ‘Life’: “Bobby and I played it a little far when we set fire to the bathroom. Well, we didn't, the dope did.
“Not our fault. Bobby and I were just sitting in the john, comfortable, nice john, sitting on the floor, and we've got the doc's bag and we're just smorgasbording. 'I wonder what these do?' Bong. And at a certain point - talk about hazy, or foggy; Bobby says, 'It's smoky in here.' And I'm looking at Bobby and can't see him. And the drapes are smouldering away; everything was just about to go off big-time.”
Despite being responsible for the fire, the musician wasn’t impressed with the rescue attempt made by the mansion’s staff and was incensed that they burst in on his drug-taking session.
He added: “There was a thumping on the door, waiters and guys in black suits bringing buckets of water. They get the door open and we're sitting on the floor, our pupils very pinned. I said, 'We could have done that ourselves. How dare you burst in on our private affair?' "
Although it is unknown what year Keith is referring to, the incident is thought to have taken place in the 70s, when Keith has admitted he was a user of heroin, cocaine and alcohol, before he cleaned up in 1979.
