#RespectYourElders: Michael Phillip “Mick” Jagger, age 75, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He is the lead singer of the Rolling Stones and a rock and roll legend. Between solo projects and his work with the band, he’s won three and been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Jagger was born in Dartford, England in 1943. At 14, he got his first guitar and developed a passion for American blues and R&B. Jagger was inspired by musicians including Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. He shared his love of the blues with childhood friend and future guitarist of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards.
Jagger, Richards and the late guitarist Brian Jones founded the Rollings Stones in 1962. Inspiration for the band’s name came from Muddy Waters’ blues song, “Rollin’ Stone.” It wasn’t long before Jagger and the band grew massively popular with hit songs like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Get Off of My Cloud,” which both became worldwide No. 1 hits in 1965.
The Rolling Stones helped lead the British Invasion, an era where English bands symbolizing youth and rebellion became widely popular in the United States. Young people idolized musical groups like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles for the counterculture messages in their songs, which inspired generations of music.
The band has released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums, 25 compilation albums and 120 singles. During their 57 years playing together, they’ve been the subject of many documentaries including the well-known film “Gimme Shelter” about the band’s 1969 U.S. tour.
Outside of the Rolling Stones, Jagger had a busy acting career and has appeared in several films. He’s acted as a kidnapped rockstar in “Running Out of Luck,” a mercenary in “Freejack” and a drag queen in “Bent.”
Jagger once said, “I’d rather be dead than singing ‘Satisfaction’ when I’m 45,” but at 75, he and the rest of the band still love touring and recently recorded their first album with new material since 2005.
In March 2019, the Rolling Stones’ tour was postponed due to Jagger’s heart surgery. But in early April, he posted on social media that he was feeling “much better,” and the tour is expected to resume in July.
The Rolling Stones are expected to play two shows at Soldier Field this summer.
Will you be there?