Read an exclusive excerpt from “Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live” by Susan Morrison.
But what transpired after the episode was just as surprising as the hosting choice.
Read an exclusive excerpt fromLorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Livebelow.
Lorne Michaels, and Keith Richards.Credit:Rich Fury/Getty; Michael Putland/Getty
He had flown in after a bumpy episode ofSNLhosted by Frank Zappa.
Richardss lawyer portrayed his client as a troubled artist, comparing him to Vincent van Gogh and Sylvia Plath.
Michaels, a local boy made good, was an ideal character witness.
‘Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live’ by Susan Morrison.Random House
He knew that Richards wasnt clean.
He said to himself, Im Canadian.
Im not going to lie.
He didnt have to.
Canadians would not want to put a real artist in jail, Michaels said later.
Within hours of the verdict, members of the press corps were making blind justice jokes.
The bust happened almost by accident.
He refers to that kind of larger perspective as having a wide shot on a situation.
Richards sent Michaels a thank-you note, on stationery from a Jamaica hotel.
The directive came from the Stones.
In the end, the concern about a glut of society types rattling their jewelry was misplaced.
(The male cast members needed prodding in this regard, too.
FromLORNE by Susan Morrison.
Copyright 2025 by Susan Morrison.
