The new documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg takes a close look at the life, struggles, and career of Keith Richards’ former girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg. Reportedly, this project received a theatrical release on Friday, May 3, 2024.
Anita Pallenberg moved to the USA to become a model in 1963. However, her life changed after meeting The Rolling Stones in Munich in 1965. She soon began dating Brian Jones, and the couple was together until 1967. After they parted ways, she fell in love with Keith Richards, whom she was with till 1980. The couple had three children: Marlon, Angela, and Tara.
While Marlon and Angela are currently in their 50s, Tara passed away, just two months after his birth. Interestingly, Pallenberg’s surviving children played a huge role in the creation of the aforementioned documentary. According to People Magazine, it was none other than Marlon who pitched the project’s idea to filmmakers, Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill.
Per Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg’s trailer on YouTube, its synopsis reads, “CATCHING FIRE: THE STORY OF ANITA PALLENBERG is about a woman who was at many points in her life a newspaper headline: Anita Pallenberg was a “rock n’ roll goddess,” a “voodoo priestess,” and an “evil seductress.” She was accused of trying to break up the Rolling Stones, among other things. But those who loved her considered her an exciting cultural force, and a loving mother – and innocent of the accusations.”
It further reads, “Never-seen-before home movies and family photographs explore life with the Rolling Stones and tell a bittersweet tale of both triumph and heartbreak. From Barbarella to the Swiss Alps, and the Lower East Side to London, Anita Pallenberg was a creative force ahead of her time.”
Who are Anita Pallenberg and Keith Richards’ children?
According to People Magazine, Anita Pallenberg and Keith Richards’ first child, Marlon Leon Sundeep Richards, was born on Aug. 10, 1969. With his father being an important member of an iconic band, he grew up on the road. Richards’ once opened up about his son’s struggles as a child because The Rolling Stones were constantly on tour. Additionally, in a 2017 conversation with journalist Alain Elkann, Anita said that she and Maron were always traveling. Furthermore, she taught him how to read and write, and only enrolled him in school when he turned 8. She said, “We were on the road a lot, traveling on tour, and I took my son everywhere. I did not send Marlon to school until he was 8 years old. I taught him how to read and write while Keith’s mother looked after my daughter.”
Marlon met model Lucie de la Falaise in 1992 and eventually married her two years later. The couple has three children, Ella Rose, Orson, and Ida Violet. Reports suggest that Marlon, who is currently 54, lived in a farmhouse in England and was a photographer, gallery curator, and graphic artist.
Anita and Keith’s second child, daughter Dandelion Angela Richards, was born on April 17, 1972. Even though her name is Dandelion, she prefers Angela. For a long time, fans of The Rolling Stones believed that their song “Angie” was based on Keith’s daughter, however, in his 2010 autobiography, the musician confirmed that the rumors were false. Keith wrote that the name “Angie” simply popped up in his mind while writing the song. Furthermore, he was unaware that his daughter was going to be named Angela.
People Magazine reports that in 1998, Angela married Dominic Jennings. After they split, she began dating Graham Whitney, with whom she has two children. In 2020, Graham Whitney, and Dandelion Angela Richards got engaged. Their daughter Ava Melody was born in 2011, while Otto Reed, their son, was born in 2014. Not much is known about her private life but she is reportedly attached to her siblings.
Anita Pallenberg and Keith Richards’ second son died two months after his birth
According to People Magazine, Anita Pallenberg and Keith Richards’ second son, Tara Jo Jo Gunne Richards, was born on March 26, 1976. Unfortunately, his life was short-lived because he died in June later that year, due to infant death syndrome.
In a 2015 conversation with BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Richards revealed that he was on tour with the band in France when his baby boy died. The news devastated him, yet he performed on stage as a way to cope with his loss. While The Rolling Stones were in Paris during this time, his family was in Geneva. According to The Guardian, he stated that Tara’s passing deeply disturbed him. The only possible way to take his mind off things was to continue performing. He said, “I thought, ‘I am going to go mad unless I do this show tonight. If I don’t do something that I am supposed to do, if I just sit here with this idea, I don’t know what I’d do.’ ”
Keith Richards married Patti Hansen in 1983, with whom he has two daughters: Theodora and Alexandra.
