Posted on 07/25/2008 11:24:30 AM PDT by pissant
Mick Jagger, the snake-hipped, rubber-lipped frontman of the Rolling Stones, celebrates his 65th birthday Saturday but shows no signs of slowing down, despite officially becoming an old age pensioner.
At an age when most British men are retiring from work and claiming state pensions, Jagger is dating a woman some 25 years his junior -- stylist L'Wren Scott -- counting his millions after the Stones' record-grossing "Bigger Bang" tour and branching out into film production.
His behaviour may not be as hellraising as that of fellow Stone Ronnie Wood, who last week entered rehab to receive treatment for alcohol abuse after running off with a 19-year-old Russian cocktail waitress.
But Jagger has always been a curious mix of sensible and shocking -- he must be the only cricket-loving knight of the realm whose rumoured antics with a Mars Bar have entered rock legend.
Michael Phillip Jagger was born on July 26, 1943 into a middle-class family in Dartford, south of London, and studied at the prestigious London School of Economics before dropping out to chase success with the Stones.
By the time of the band's first international hit, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in 1965, Jagger and his band were a byword for youthful rebellion -- snarling and surly, the complete opposite of the family-friendly Beatles.
A string of massive hits across five decades followed including "Brown Sugar", "Honky Tonk Woman", "Gimme Shelter" and "Street Fighting Man".
But it was Jagger's antics off-stage which played a major part in making the band one of the most successful and enduring in the world.
In 1967, he was found guilty of possessing amphetamines after a party at guitarist Keith Richards' home, prompting an editorial defending him in The Times newspaper headlined: "Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?"
His jail sentence was later quashed on appeal.
He also had a string of high-profile relationships with models, singers and actresses including Marianne Faithfull, Chrissie Shrimpton and Carla Bruni, now married to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"I don't go out with housewives. I never have, I'm never going to," he has said.
Jagger has married twice -- to models Bianca Jagger and Jerry Hall -- and has seven children and three grandchildren.
He also developed an acting career, starring in films including "Performance" in 1970 -- a dark tale featuring a drug-taking, decadent rock star -- and, more recently, working on producing movies through his firm Jagged Films like "The Women", starring Meg Ryan and out later this year.
Over the years, his edgy image has softened -- now worth a reported 225 million pounds (285 million euros, 449 million dollars), he is more likely to be spotted watching cricket at Lord's in London than partying hard.
The ultimate sign of his acceptance by the establishment came in 2003, when he received a knighthood from Britain's heir to the throne Prince Charles for his contribution to music, to taunts from Richards.
Jagger will not say when his band will finally retire, stating in 2007: "I'm sure the Rolling Stones will do more things and more records and more tours. We've got no plans to stop any of that really."
But with or without the Stones, Jagger has plenty of other projects to fill his time.
This week, pictures of him and ex wife Hall taken by rock star Bryan Adams were released to support the non-profit group Hear The World, which campaigns to raise awareness of hearing loss.
While some might say that was the perfect shot for a man about to turn 65, it seems likely that, in the words of the 1964 Stones hit, the forever youthful Jagger will "not fade away" any time soon.
I love the Stones but often laugh at the way McCain is derided as too old, but when I point out Mick’s almost the same age,
It’s not the same is the retort.
Love of Obama is impervious to logic or hypocrisy.
I went and saw that Shine A Light movie....man, he still has it!
Mick has kept himself in pretty decent physical shape for his age.
Guess there’s something to be said for consistently having sex with models.
I guess if you use clean needles, heroin isn’t really dangerous.
LOL!
See. Everyone in the world is younger than John McCain.
I wonder how old he is in cocaine years?
Wife & I saw the Stones at the Mpls Metrodome, 10-15 years ago. It was a really great show with everyone dancing.
Is his Dad still being rolled into his fag?
R&R is to be played by kids in their teens and twenties.I wouldn’t walk across the street today to see the Stones,the Who,The Platters or any other performers of that era.Yes,they *were* all great but.....give it a rest.
What a drag it is getting old....
yep, seems like it all happened only yesterday.....
Certainly an eye of the beholder thing. I wouldn’t pay to see any of the younger bands, but I’d line up for the Stones.
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