Rolling Stone Back On His Feet

He's 62 but not about to slow down. Keith Richards, who suffered a concussion last week in Fiji - reportedly when he fell out of a palm tree - was released Tuesday from the New Zealand hospital where he had been recuperating.

Few details have been made public about the mishap suffered by the Rolling Stones guitarist but Fran Curtis, a publicist for the band, says on the Stones web site that Richards is "making a speedy recovery."

Newspapers in the Fairfax media group reported in their Sunday editions that Richards was flown to Auckland's Ascot Hospital on Thursday after the accident.

"I can categorically confirm Mr. Richards... is no longer a patient in this hospital," hospital duty manager Geoff Sparks told The Associated Press early Tuesday. "He has been discharged."

Fijilive.com reports Richards' accident is believed to have happened at Fiji's exclusive Wakaya Club resort.

Salesi Finau of the resort told The Associated Press that Richards and his wife recently stayed at the resort for about a week but would not say when they left.

The Rolling Stones played a concert in Wellington on April 18 as part of their "A Bigger Bang" world tour.

According to the band's Web site, the next stop for the Stones is May 27th at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain - the kickoff of a 34-concert tour across Europe.

The band's frontman meanwhile is considering doing something distinctly bourgeois.

Mick Jagger - evidently unscathed by the band's brush with censorship earlier this year at the Super Bowl and in China - has filmed scenes for a comedy pilot being considered by ABC for its fall schedule.

That's according to a spokeswoman for Touchstone Television, who said last Wednesday that Jagger was approached and liked the idea. Since the Stones are on tour, Jagger's scenes were filmed in New Zealand.

ABC is expected to decide on its fall schedule by May 16. The Jagger pilot is one of several new comedies under consideration.