Keith Richards as a Cockroach? Rolling Stones Rockstar Gets Bizarre Birthday Gift
As far as weird gifts go, this might top the charts. Keith Richards turned 77 on December 18, and a museum in his home state thought it would be a nice idea to name a cockroach after him.
Keith Richards' Cockroach To Get Rockstar Treatment
In honor of Keith Richards' birthday, the Children's Museum in West Hartford, Connecticut named a Madagascar hissing cockroach "Keith," as reported by the New York Post.
Keith the Cockroach gets lavish treatment at the museum, getting his own insect-sized guitar for his enclosure. Denver classic rock station 103.5 The Fox sponsored the adoption.
The cockroach will be permanently residing in this enclosure at the museu and cared for greatly by the staff. The museum claims that "all of his rider demands will be met." Imagine that.
Keith the Cockroach is up for visits as well.
Rolling Stones fans not scared of insects can go to the museum and visit the creepy crawley named after their idol.
To see Keith Richards' cockroach, they can get tickets on the website of the Children's Museum in West Hartford. Admission is preselty tagged at $8, regardless if adult or child.
Keith Richards' Cockroach Symbolizes Immortality
The museum, located just 60 miles north of Richards' home in Weston, explained the unprecedented gift for Richards. The reasoning behind the gift somehow made sense, given Keit's' supposed nine lives after surviving so many life-and-death mishaps in his lifetime.
"It is said the only two things to survive a nuclear war would be cockroaches and Keith Richards," the museum wrote in its press release. "Chances are the real Keith will outlive the newly named, oval-shaped invertebrate whose life span is two to five years."
It's clear then that the "gift" is not an insult, but a commemoration of the Rolling Stones rocker's special day.
Who Is Keith Richards?
Some people who did not really grow up with the band's songs are likely to become interested in the guitarist, thanks to Keith Richards' cockroach.
He is described as definition of all things rock n' roll. The Rolling Stones guitarist is said to be responsible, alongside his bandmate and writing partner Mick Jagger, for some of the band's biggest hits.
The duo has created a total of 14 songs that went and become part of "Rolling Stone magazine's" "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
Their high number was only edged by the The Beatles for most number of songs on the highly regarded list.
Keith Richards' songs and his guitar skills are not the only things that make him notorious.
He is also known for his cat-like existence. Richards allegedly cheated death on several occassions.
He fell out of a coconut tree in 2006, but recovered like nothing happened. In 1978, someone laced his dope with strychnine and landed him in a coma. But he survived that one, too. The Society of Frock listed more instances that should have killed the guitarist, but no, he just his 77th birthday.