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Keith Richards and Stones Set to Tour

The Rolling Stones, assured that Keith Richards is fully recovered from a head injury, will kick off their rescheduled European tour in Milan, Italy, on July 11. The band is booked for 21 stadium appearances in 11 countries, it was announced Friday. Previously scheduled concerts in Nuremberg and Leipzig, Germany, have been canceled, and 10 other concerts on the tour, which had been set to open May 27 in Barcelona, Spain, have been postponed.

Richards, 62, was injured in late April when he reportedly fell out of a palm tree while vacationing in Fiji.

The tour announcement on the Stones' Web site said Richards had made a "complete recovery from his accident" and was ready to return to the concert stage.

Richards, in a statement, apologized to fans.

"Excuse me, I fell off of my perch! Sorry to disrupt everyone's plans but now - it's full steam ahead! Ouch!!"

Ticket holders for rescheduled concerts should retain their tickets and await further information, the band's spokesman said.

Revised tour dates: July 11, Milan, Italy; July 14, Vienna, Austria; July 16, Munich, Germany; July 19, Hanover, Germany; July 21, Berlin; July 23, Cologne, Germany; July 28, Paris; July 31, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Aug. 3, Stuttgart, Germany; Aug. 5, Zurich, Switzerland; Aug. 8, Nice, France; Aug. 12, Porto, Portugal; Aug. 14, Valladolid, Spain; Aug. 16, El Ejido, Spain;

Aug. 20, London; Aug. 22, London; Aug. 25, Glasgow, Scotland; Aug. 27, Sheffield, England; Aug. 29 - Cardiff, Wales; Sept. 1 - Bergen, Norway; Sept. 3 - Horsens, Denmark.

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On the Net:

http://www.rollingstones.com