Mick Jagger

Early Life

Born Michael Phillip Jagger on July 26, 1943, in Dartford, England, Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, has become a rock legend, delighting fans for more than four decades. Leaving the London School of Economics to start a band with Keith Richards, Jagger took the Rolling Stones to the top of the music world with major hits like "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Angie" and "Miss You," propelling the band and himself to a status unknown by most performers.

Early Life and Musical Influences

Singer, songwriter, actor and producer Michael Phillip Jagger was born on July 26, 1943, in Dartford, England. As the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger has become a rock legend known for his gritty, blues-influenced songs and charismatic stage presence. He has delighted a legion of fans for more than four decades.

The oldest son of a teacher and a homemaker, Jagger was a good student and popular among his classmates. He developed an interest in American blues and R&B music at an early age and got his first guitar at 14. As a teenager, Jagger started collecting blues records from the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He and his friend Dick Taylor soon started a band together called Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys with Jagger as its singer.

In 1960, Jagger was accepted to the London School of Economics. He lived at home and commuted into the city to attend classes. Also working on his band, Jagger soon added a new member, guitarist Keith Richards. The two had known each other growing up in Dartford. Exploring London's emerging blues scene together, Jagger and Richards spent some time at the Ealing Club. There they saw Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated play and were wowed by guitarist   who made guest appearances with the group. After a while, Jagger also appeared as a guest vocalist with Blues Incorporated.

Forming the Rolling Stones

Jagger, Richards and Taylor soon joined up with Jones, who wanted to start his own group. Pianist,was also an early member of what would become the Rolling Stones. By 1963,  had joined the band as its drummer and Taylor departed. Stewart, however, stayed on to serve as road manager, as well as playing and recording with the band. Under the direction of their manager Andrew Loog Oldham, the Rolling Stones were marketed as a group of wild and rough rockers. The group's wild style helped them land a deal with Decca Records. Jagger was a key ingredient in the band's growing success, attracting audiences with his stage antics and sex appeal.

At first, the group mostly recorded cover versions of other people's songs, but Richards and Jagger, along with their bandmates, soon emerged as a powerful songwriting team—occasionally using the pseudonym "Nanker Phelge" for some of their early work. The Stones first made the British charts in 1964 with a cover version of Bobby Womack's "It's All Over Now." That same year, the band released their debut album and toured the United States, having their first American hit with "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday." More hits soon followed, including the chart-topping "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Paint It Black" along with albums like Out of Our Heads(1965) and Aftermath (1966)

Tragedy Strikes

In 1967, Jagger's personal life made headlines. He and his girlfriend,  were among those arrested during a police raid of Richards's country home in England. During their search, police officers found drug paraphernalia and illegal substances. Both Jagger and Richards were tried and convicted for drug-related offenses, but their sentences were dropped on appeal. Two years later, Jagger and Faithfull were arrested for drug possession after authorities raided Jagger's London home.

By the end of the decade, Jagger and the rest of the band were enjoying huge success. Beggars Banquet was released in 1968 and featured a straightforward rock style. One of its singles, "Jumpin' Jack Flash," hit the No. 1 spot on the U.K. charts and reached the top 5 in the U.S.

In 1969, the Stones went through several big changes. Jones left the group that June after his many drug arrests prevented him from leaving the country for a U.S. tour. He was replaced by 20-year-old guitarist Mick Taylor. Jones was found drowned in his pool less than a month later. The coroner's report found that Jones was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of his death, and ruled his passing as "death by misadventure." In response to Jones's untimely demise, the Stones performed a free concert in Hyde Park on July 5, 1969, two days after their former bandmate's death. Originally scheduled as an opportunity to present their new guitarist, the group dedicated the concert to Jones.

Before the concert began, Jagger read excepts from Percy Shelley's "Adonais," a poem about the death of a friend. Stagehands released hundreds of white butterflies as part of the tribute, and the Stones played one of Jones's favorite songs: "I'm Yours And I'm Hers."

Tragedy struck again several months later when the band launched their highly anticipated Let It Bleed (1969) album. To promote the record, the Stones organized a free concert at Altamont Speedway in northern California for that December. While the band was playing "Under My Thumb," a young man in the audience was stabbed and killed by a member of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang. The tragic event was captured on film and featured in the documentary Gimme Shelter.

source:biography.com