Even though Jagger hit the big Seven – Nil on Friday, he still manages to be fit (as far as pensioners go), and somehow, even though the area of skin he possesses is disproportionate to his body size, I reckon he has maintained his coolness. If the Stones’ recent successes are anything to go by I’m not alone. Here I have a bash at condensing nearly 50 years of rock and roll genius into 5 simple points to explain how and why we still love Micky J.
Hes got the moves like… Jagger… (sorry)
Shit song references aside he really does know how to chuck out the shapes. After watching more late night BBC documentaries and gig reruns than I care to discuss (mainly for perving purposes), I’ve come to the conclusion that Mick Jagger had, and still has, probably the most energetic dance moves known to the world of rock and roll… Just watching the hour long Glasto set leaves me feeling like I need a hip replacement and a quiet lie down.
Staying Alive
To be fair, 70 is a decent achievement for most of us, but then again, most of us haven’t led a lifestyle quite as turbulent as Jagger’s, and the rest of the Stones for that matter. In his time he has seen high profile drug raids, horrific accidental deaths and also an apparent run in with the Hells Angels; he’s also been subjected to hordes of screaming girls which he managed to cope with… fair play!
Numbers
190m – the estimated net worth of Jagger in pounds
25 – the amount of films he has appeared in
10 – the amount of academic qualifications he left school with
0 – the amount of times he needed them
87465498486484 – the amount of girls he’s slept with (approx.)
Some Girls
As you’d expect from any self-respecting rock star genius type, he’s been out with some proper top birds. He’s been linked with a mad range of celebrities from Marianne Faithfull, Sophie Dahl and Angelina Jolie to erm… Janice Dickinson (that annoying loud one) and is now with long term (by Jagger standards) girlfriend fashion designer L’Wren Scott. Perks of the job I suppose!
His ‘Legacy’
Before the Stones, in my opinion there wasn’t really a single UK rock and roll icon to speak of. Jagger and Richards brought us the original dysfunctional musical duo. Mick gave us the first sexy, rebellious frontman, who had the ability to make girls want to take their tops off, and to make fellas feel jealousy and admiration all in one. Jagger set the bar for frontmen, and shows us that even now, after reaching 70 he’s got more left in him than most frontmen we see these days in their 20s. 49 years after their debut the Stones are still selling out night after night at Hyde Park, releasing chart topping albums and reaching over 700,000 iPlayer views of their Glasto set.
Jagger is undoubtedly the original rock star and without him I don’t think music as we know it would exist, so nice one Mick, happy birthday!
Amelia Ward
