Richards most recently made an appearance at the sketch show's 50th anniversary special Lorne Michaels once helped keep Keith Richards out of prison. According to an excerpt shared by Entertainment Weekly from the biography Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live by Susan Morrison,

Keith Richards and Mick Jagger wrote a wealth of groundbreaking rock songs for The Rolling Stones, but it took them a while to find their feet as songwriters.

Lorne Michaels testified as a character witness on Keith Richards' behalf as the Stones guitarist faced serious drug charges in Canada in 1978.

Saturday Night Live kicked off its fourth season in 1978 with one of the show's most unconventional emcees to date, the entire Rolling Stones band, pulling double duty as host and musical guest. But what transpired after the episode was just as surprising as the hosting choice.