5 surprising music acts Keith Richards rates - watch-

It would be a cheap shot to suggest Keith Richards only finds out about modern musicians when they support The Rolling Stones on tour, but that does seem a place where he can observe new talent up close. He has seen Ed Sheeran perform more than once, for example, and recognises a kindred spirit, as he acknowledges in the above interview with Huey Morgan: "There are many good young players out there that do search and look and know that there is something more than what is being pumped out at them at the moment. For instance a young cat Ed Sheenan [sic] I found very interesting, he worked with us at Atlanta and Dallas... a one-man little band! Great voice."

This open-armed embrace of any young pup willing to dig back into the same pot of blues, gospel and jazz that inspires him also applied to Amy Winehouse, whose talent, devotion to mid-20th century rhythm and blues and struggle with her personal and public demons rang a bell. Asked in 2008 which modern musicians had caught his attention, Keith told the Mail on Sunday: "There's only one person. That girl Amy."

He recently told The Quietus that Amy's death had been quite a blow: "Amy Winehouse was a big disappointment because I was waiting for that girl to really bloom because she was really just starting and I thought she was fantastic. It was such a shame. But there’s a high rate of that sort of thing in this business."

Another name keeps cropping up in recent Keith interviews is that of James Bay, who had the honour of supporting the Stones very early in his career, long before the Critic's Choice Brit trophy came his way. And got to play with Ronnie Wood at one of his own gigs. When asked in that same Quietus interview to name any modern artists he feels are carrying the torch forward for the kind of music making he approves of, Keith's answer is once again Ed Sheeran, "...and James Bay. They're the two that come to mind immediately."

It must be a lovely surprise to be rocking out on one of your songs, and then suddenly realise Florence Welch is there onstage giving it the full banshee wail. It certainly was for Keith, who hadn't been previously aware who this titian titan was when she appeared onstage to belt out Gimme Shelter, as he told the Express: "I'd never met her before or seen her work but I just went, 'Wow, there's a strong voice'. She's a hell of a performer. She gave Mick a run for his money. She can move. Great fun, lovely girl."

For her part, Florence acknowledges the impact of Merry Clayton's astonishing vocal in Gimme Shelter in this interview with Zoe Ball for Radio 2's Tracks of My Years: "When her voice cracks, it's the most amazing sound, it literally sounds like the song's being ripped from her... That's how I want my songs to sound."

It's well known that Keith loves his reggae, but it may have been surprising for anyone listening to his Desert Island Discs choices - including Chuck Berry, Hank Williams and Little Walter - to hear him pick Gregory Isaacs' Extra Classic as the one song he would save if his island home were about to be engulfed by waves. But as he reveals, it has special sentimental value: "I've always thought that Gregory was one of the best songwriters that came out of [Jamaica], and a sweet singer... And also Extra Classic was a song where I met my old lady, so I thought I would carry that through."