Mick Jagger biography, age, height, wife, children, The Rolling Stones 2025

Mick Jagger's Biography

Mick Jagger is an iconic figure, the enduring frontman of the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones, a songwriter, film actor, and producer. He created his own musical style, deemed revolutionary in the 1960s. In 2003, he was knighted. He has received numerous music and film awards, including a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

He's the father of eight children, grandfather to five grandchildren, and great-grandfather to one great-granddaughter. He underwent heart surgery but recorded a new song with the band, "Living In A Ghost Town," in spring 2020 after a long hiatus.

Childhood and Youth

Michael Philip Jagger was born in the summer of 1943 to a physical education teacher, Basil Fanshawe "Joe" Jagger, and a conservative activist, Eva Ensley Jagger, in the town of Dartford, Kent. Four years later, he had a younger brother, Chris.

One of little Mike's earliest memories was his mother taking down blackout curtains because World War II had ended, and there was no longer a fear of air raids.

At Dartford's Maypole Primary School, Mike Jagger was considered one of the top students, as learning came easily to him. It also turned out that he inherited his father's athletic genes: he soon became a local celebrity in mini-football, cricket, and sack race competitions.

Mick Jagger and his younger brother Chris

Later, Ken Llewellyn, one of the teachers, recalled that Jagger was the smartest and most energetic boy in the class. Mike was great at impersonating teachers, which always impressed his classmates.

When he was eight years old, his parents transferred him to another school in Wentworth. There, he befriended a funny, big-eared boy named Keith Richards. One day, Keith declared that when he grew up, he would definitely play the guitar and become like Roy Rogers, a country singer who called himself the "King of the Cowboys." Rogers didn't interest Mike much, but imagining Richards with a guitar was difficult.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have known each other since childhood

Like his younger brother, he sang in the church choir. There were no musical instruments at home, but music constantly played from a large radio. Jagger loved singing along and imitating American performers of the time. He remembered Keith's words about the guitar, which sparked his first thoughts about becoming famous. Soon, the friends parted ways for several years.

In 1954, the Jaggers moved to the "Newlands" mansion in the nearby village of Wilmington. The father organized sports training for the sons: they climbed ropes hung on trees in the large garden, played cricket, and lifted weights. The parents bought a small TV, on which the children watched series and puppet shows. The family spent summer vacations away from England, on the Spanish or French coast. Nevertheless, Joe, and especially Eva, were always strict with the children, particularly the eldest son. Each had their household duties and performed them diligently.

Mick Jagger with his parents and younger brother

In the same 1954, eleven-year-old Mike, as the best student from primary school, was enrolled in an academic secondary school on West Hill in Dartford. Jagger got in solely due to his intelligence and abilities. The school had its own crest and motto, "Pray and Work," and teachers in black robes strictly monitored the adherence to all traditions by the students.

Mike quickly lost interest in memorizing chemical and physical formulas, and although he loved history, English, and French, he soon slipped from being one of the top students. The same applied to sports activities, as Jagger didn't enjoy sophisticated rugby, where tackles could leave him face down in a puddle. It wasn't the kind of sport he wanted to pursue. Soon, he took up basketball and felt relieved.

It was here that the boy fell head over heels for rhythm and blues: buying records, catching his favorite songs on the radio, and trying to imitate his idols. During another vacation in Spain, his parents bought him an acoustic guitar, but he never learned to play it.

The First Steps to Fame

After finishing school, the young man headed to the London School of Economics. One day, while heading home for the holidays, Mike ran into Keith at the station—the same Keith who'd promised him back in childhood to become like Roy Rogers. Jagger held two precious rhythm and blues records: "Rockin' at the Hops" by Chuck Berry and a collection of Muddy Waters' greatest hits.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in their youth

Later, both would say that without that fateful meeting on October 17, 1961, the Rolling Stones might never have existed. While Richards was checking out the records, Mick struck up a conversation about music, and Keith invited him over to give them a listen. During their chat, Keith suggested his newfound friend join his band "Little Boy Blue & the Blue Boys," where Richard Taylor and a couple of other guys played alongside him. The band performed cover versions of hits by Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry.

The band Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys

Taylor was the first to get tired of the amateur gigs and left. Soon after, Jagger and Richards joined Blues Incorporated, and Michael took on a stage name, becoming Mick.

Meanwhile, they found a kindred spirit in slide guitarist Brian Jones and put out ads for like-minded musicians to form a new band. Pianist Ian Stewart responded. The four of them started rehearsing and named the band "The Rolling Stones" after one of the songs from the Muddy Waters record Mick had with him that day. Their first performance took place at the London club "Marquee" on July 12, 1962.

Later, Jagger said about himself:

I'm a man of the stage, whatever I do—playing guitar, piano, acting, singing, dancing. Rock and roll became my career in show business. If I had been born, say, in 1915, I would have been a jazz drummer or jazz singer, or even an actor.

The Rolling Stones

Music producer Andrew Loog Oldham came up with the idea to position the Rolling Stones as the anti-Beatles, contrasting them with the already wildly popular Liverpool quartet. Mick and his bandmates were told to grow their hair, cultivate a moody image, loosen up, and play up their sex appeal as much as possible.

Brian Jones, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger brilliantly embodied the "bad boy" image. Rugged and energetic, with his striking looks and commanding stage presence, he quickly became the obsession of thousands of fans who went absolutely wild whenever he appeared.

The band embarked on a European tour and in 1964 hit #1 on the New Musical Express charts with "Little Red Rooster." Taking Oldham's advice, Jagger started writing original material, including "The Last Time." Their electrifying performance of "Satisfaction" sent American audiences into a frenzy.

The Rolling Stones – Little Red Rooster

The Rolling Stones' lifestyle became synonymous with sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, which ultimately led to Brian Jones's tragic death in his own swimming pool. At his funeral, Mick read Shelley's poems and released thousands of butterflies into the sky. It was his symbolic farewell not only to a friend but also to the 1960s, which had brought him extraordinary fame.

In the early seventies, the Rolling Stones were at the peak of their fame. Jagger crafted a revolutionary sound that fused nearly every popular genre of the era: blues, soul, gospel, and country.

In 1970, the crime drama "Performance" was released, in which Mick played the lead role of the eccentric and flamboyant musician Turner. Simultaneously, he starred in the biographical film "Ned Kelly" about the audacious Australian outlaw, portraying the main character on screen. At concerts, he belted out "Sister Morphine" and "Wild Horses" with fans singing along. The band's iconic logo became that defiant tongue sticking out between crimson lips.

Rolling Stones – Wild Horses

In the early eighties, disputes arose between Mick and Keith about the future direction of the Rolling Stones. After releasing two albums, "Emotional Rescue" and "Tattoo You," the Stones stepped back from the spotlight. Mick pursued a solo career and released his first album, "She's The Boss." The song "Just Another Night" became a hit, reaching the top 10 in the UK charts.

During his solo career, Jagger recorded five more albums, some in collaboration with many popular artists: Tina Turner, Herbie Hancock, David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz.

Mick Jagger ft Lenny Kravitz – God Gave Me Everything

Alongside his music career, Mick also continued acting in films. Among his roles was the artist Axel Rex in the German-French drama "Laughter in the Dark" (1986). He shared the screen with Maximilian Schell and Marina Vlady. Another major role saw Mick playing head of security Vesendak in Geoff Murphy's sci-fi action flick "Freejack," starring opposite Hollywood legend Anthony Hopkins.

While not every film featuring the flamboyant rocker earned critical praise, Jagger snagged a Golden Globe for best song in "Alfie."

Soundtrack to the film "Alfie"

From time to time, Jagger and the Rolling Stones would reunite, release new albums, and receive well-deserved Grammys. In the new millennium, they released two albums: "A Bigger Bang" (2005) and "Blue and Lonesome" (2016). But Mick no longer felt tied to that tight-knit collaboration. In 2010, he formed a new group, Superheavy, with which he recorded several songs in Los Angeles and released a new album.

In 2019, despite health issues, Jagger returned to the big screen as the lawyer and collector Joseph Cassidy in Giuseppe Capotondi's dramatic thriller "The Burnt Orange Heresy." For his brilliant portrayal, he received the Mimmo Rotella Foundation Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Mick Jagger in the film "The Burnt Orange Heresy"

In 2020, despite undergoing heart valve replacement surgery, Jagger and the Rolling Stones broke their long hiatus to record a new song, "Living in a Ghost Town," complete with a music video. Since they finished the work during the pandemic, the video captures hauntingly empty streets across European and American cities.

In an interview, Jagger revealed he's recorded several tracks for the "Living in a Ghost Town" project and is putting the finishing touches on arrangements and vocals.

Personal Life of Mick Jagger

Jagger's numerous romances with fans and stage colleagues remain under close media scrutiny. His romantic adventures could fill their own book, with the musician brazenly claiming that no fewer than four thousand admirers have shared his bed throughout his life.

At one point, Keith somewhat jealously recommended that his friend undergo sterilization, as Jagger currently has eight children from five different lovers.

He settled down only briefly. At 19, Mick had his first steady girlfriend, Chrissie Shrimpton. However, he broke up with her pretty quickly because Chrissie was rather dull and wanted to settle down into domestic life.

His relationship with aristocrat Marianne Faithfull, which began in 1966, was more serious. Even while Mick was living with actress and singer Marsha Hunt, he continued seeing Marianne, feeling responsible for her since he'd introduced her to drugs. Unfortunately, she battled addiction for many years, finally overcoming it only after turning forty.

Marsha gave birth to Mick's daughter, Karis, and their relationship ended there. In 1971, Jagger married Bianca Perez, a lawyer and human rights activist. They lived together for quite some time, though he wasn't faithful. Their daughter, Jade Sheena, later made Jagger a grandfather three times.

The Wedding of Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez

American model Jerry Hall lasted longer than any of Mick's other partners; the couple lived together for 22 years. During that time, she gave birth to four children: two daughters and two sons. Hall put up with her husband's infidelities, pretending not to notice models like Carla Bruni, Princess Margaret, or his fleeting admirers.

The final straw came when Brazilian Luciana Gimenez Morad gave birth to Jagger's son. Jerry filed for divorce, but it turned out that all those years she'd been in an unofficial marriage with Mick, since he'd annulled it behind her back. The reason was that they'd married in a Hindu ceremony on the island of Bali, which has no legal standing in the States.

The musician left his ex-wife and children a huge mansion in London but was relieved that she couldn't claim more. He then calmly moved on to stylist and model L'Wren Scott.

Jagger lived with Scott, who was 24 years his junior, in a de facto marriage for nearly thirteen years until he met young ballerina Melanie Hamrick. In 2016, she gave birth to his eighth child, Deveraux Octavian Basil.

In 2017, paparazzi captured Mick with 22-year-old Noor Alfallah. At that time, the musician was 74, and Noor, a film producer, accompanied Jagger on his European tour.

In 2017 Mick Jagger Was Spotted with 22-Year-Old Noor Alfallah

Jagger remains with Melanie Hamrick, despite their 44-year age gap. Engagement rumors swirled in December 2020, but the couple keeps their personal life under wraps.

Mick Jagger Now

In October 2023, The Rolling Stones released "Hackney Diamonds"—their first album with original material in 18 years and the first without drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in 2021. The album sent shockwaves through the music world with its star-studded guest lineup: Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John. Critics and fans raved about how the band kept their classic edge while staying fresh and current.

An elderly man with long hair is sitting on the couch and hugging a dog — Mick Jagger in 2024

Fans got their first taste of the new album with the single "Angry" and its accompanying music video.

The Rolling Stones - Angry

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Photos: Mick Jagger