Rolling Stones legend breaks down in tears as he recalls 'horrible' moment

Bill Wyman, who was the bassist for the Rolling Stones for more than three decades, was speaking at an event in London when he became emotional after recounting a traumatic childhood memory

A legendary bassist was moved to tears during a public appearance as he shared a harrowing tale from his youth.

Bill Wyman, famed as the "Quiet One" of the Rolling Stones, apologised for getting "so emotional" at an event for The Oldie magazine at London's National Liberal Club.

The poignant moment came while the 87-year-old rock icon was discussing his autobiography, 'Billy In The Wars', where he recounted a particularly distressing episode from his childhood days in wartime London.

Bill recounted: "I was so hungry, Mum sent me to a bomb site to get dandelions to eat between bread. You would have to scrape around for anything edible. It was f*****g horrible and I was so cold."

His memoirs delve into his upbringing in Penge, South East London, with Wyman having previously spoken about a childhood "scarred by poverty", with some of his neighbours having tragically perished during the Blitz, reports the Express.

Back in 2013, upon the release of 'Bill Wyman's Scrapbook', he disclosed that he had kept hold of his ration and identity books from the war era, along with letters, postcards, photos, and other documents.

Wyman served in the military in Germany starting at age 18, completing his national service in the Royal Air Force from 1955 to 1957.

The Blitz, short for the German 'Blitzkrieg' meaning 'lightning war', was a relentless bombing campaign carried out against the UK by Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe during World War II.

Between September 1940 and May 1941, London, Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Hull, Plymouth, Clydebank, and Belfast were targeted in what is known as The Blitz.

The Blitz, which began on 'Black Saturday' (September 7) and resulted in the deaths of over 43,000 civilians, saw London endure 57 consecutive nights of bombing, with attacks also taking place during the day.

In April, Bill spoke candidly about his departure from the Rolling Stones, revealing that the band "refused to accept" his exit until "finally" acknowledging it in 1993.

The group was preparing for a 19-date US tour and had released its 24th studio album, 'Hackney Diamonds', in 2023. Bill ended his 30-year hiatus to contribute to the track 'Live By The Sword'.

Speaking to the Mirror, he said: "I just had enough. It was half my life and I thought, 'I have got other things I want to do'. I wanted to do archaeology, write books, have photo exhibitions and play charity cricket.

"I used to read about ancient cultures while I was on the road and take photos as well. I just had this whole other life I wanted to live."

The former Stones bassist would eventually follow his diverse interests, including writing, metal detecting, and collecting items such as stamps, cigarette cards, coins, posters, comics, books and Rupert Bear annuals.