THE ROLLING STONES STILL THE TOP BAND

The Rolling Stones finished their final US concert by thanking the surgeon who saved Keith Richards' life.The legendary guitarist, who suffered a blood clot after falling out of a tree in Fiji earlier this year, expressed his gratitude to the medical team who looked after him. Singer Sir Mick Jagger, 63, also thanked fans at the Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium for their patience after the show was postponed for four days when doctors told him to rest his voice. A source said: "They weren't the most rock 'n' roll of announcements. But now the band can settle down to a well-earned rest."The Stones' 'A Bigger Bang' tour has been beset with problems since it began last August. Several dates were rescheduled when Richards underwent brain surgery, while further delays occurred when Jagger experienced throat problems and then returned to the UK to visit his sick father, Joe, who died of pneumonia earlier this month. Despite the difficulties, the tour is the highest-grossing in history after generating million's so far - overtaking U2's 'Vertigo' tour, according to figures compiled by Billboard magazine. The band has performed 110 shows in front of 3.5 million fans since the run of shows began last year.

Keith Richards

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