Lorne Michaels Helped Keith Richards Avoid Serving Life In Prison On Drug Charges

Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels came to Keith Richards‘ defense back in 1978, testifying as a character witness in the Rolling Stones guitarist’s Canadian drug trial where Richards faced possible life imprisonment for heroin possession. Richards, who was severely struggling with addiction at the time, managed to avoid jail time with Michaels’ support, who also helped clean him up for the court appearance. Richards’ Canadian drug trial is a notorious part of the musician’s wild life story, but Michaels’ crucial role in the ordeal is brought to light in Susan Morrison’s new biography, Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. Despite concerns about perjury, Michaels highlighted Richards’ creative talents and the Rolling Stones’ cultural significance in his testimony, which ultimately contributed to the musician’s lenient sentence of community service. (Rolling Stone)