Rick Parfitt: Quo rocker’s grand old time in Alhaurín el Grande

Nicknamed the ‘Wild Old Man of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Rick Parfitt is one of the UK’s most enduring musicians. Having formed Status Quo in the 1960s, he has spent the past fifty years at, or very near, the top.

The top of what, you may ask? Three-chord riffs, dad-rock, hair-rock, double-denim, drug and alcohol abuse… you name it, Parfitt’s been there to enjoy it, alongside his equally enduring bandmate Francis Rossi. The pair are the sole surviving original members of Status Quo, and they’re still touring.

Parfitt readily admits that he ‘lost’ the ‘70s and ‘80s to drugs and the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, but following his second divorce in 2000, he vowed to change his ways and never marry again, nor act so impulsively.

It didn’t last long. After snapping up a luxury villa in the Andalusian town of Alhaurín el Grande, Parfitt actually did marry again. The lady of his affections this time was fitness instructor Lyndsay Whitburn, and in August 2006 the pair were married at a low-key and low-expense ceremony in Gibraltar. Two years later they had twin boys, and third-time lucky had struck.

Settled and suntanned, Spain’s scenery, pace of life and climate seem to be doing wonders for this wild old man. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Parfitt was even able to talk candidly about the drug-drenched rock ‘n’ roll years, and even managed to laugh about his ‘good’ health, saying that he hadn’t had a heart attack since December!

This positive outlook on life is Parfitt’s forte. The hair, the guitar, the crowd-pleasing music, the tendencies to binge on women, touring, alcohol and drugs… all point to a passionate character. A character many felt was untameable… until the stunning surrounds of Alhaurín el Grande came calling.