Okay, so let's unpack this. When you think of
the ultimate rock front man, I mean, the absolute
definition of swagger, that enduring image of
counterculture. Yeah. One name just immediately
leaps out, Sir Michael Philip Jagger. But what
if I told you the rebel who invented that role?
The pouting, gyrating embodiment of anti -establishment
freedom is also one of the most astute, calculating,
and successful businessmen in modern music history.
And what's fascinating here when you look at
the sources is the sheer breadth of it. This
isn't just a discography review or a list of
his girlfriends. It's a comprehensive biographical
overview. We're talking eight decades of one
incredibly dense life. So our mission today is
really a deep dive into the totality of that
career, which means we have to look beyond the
stage. We have to get into the astute financial
architect, the intermittent actor, the lightning
rod for controversy, and the artist who somehow
maintained relevance. of Vincent Power for over
60 years. Absolutely. We're dissecting the blueprint
for longevity, for reinvention. This is an individual
who perfected the art of balancing two, well...
completely contradictory identities. Right. How
does a figure who perfectly embodied that anti
-establishment ethos, the guy the authorities
were constantly trying to jail, also become essentially
the chief executive officer of the world's most
lucrative touring machine? It's the central question.
It is. So for you, the listener, this deep dive
is a masterclass in operational longevity. It's
the story of the learner who studied finance
at the London School of Economics and ended up
owning the ultimate counterculture brand. Retracing
that tension point all the way from his discipline
upbringing in Dartford right through to the billion
dollar tours of the 21st century. So to understand
the global icon, you really have to start in
Dartford, Kent, 1943. Michael Philip Jagger.
He wasn't born into bohemian poverty. That's
the standard rock star myth. No, he was born
into a thoroughly disciplined, stable, middle
class family. This is such a brilliant starting
contradiction, isn't it? I mean, the ultimate
symbol of unrestrained youthful energy grew up
with a physical education teacher for a Father
Basil, Joe Jagger. Right. A gymnast. A gymnast.
Exactly. And Joe Jagger is credited with helping
to popularize basketball in Britain. So you have.
The discipline, the physical rigor, the awareness
of athletic performance literally baked into
his genetics before he ever even stepped on a
stage. Precisely. And, you know, the discipline
didn't even end there. His mother, Eva, was a
hairdresser who was also politically active,
specifically in the conservative party. Which
is just... The perfect irony. It's crucial context.
The parents represent discipline, athletic health
and, you know, political conservatism. The exact
institutional opposite of the persona Mick Jagger
would cultivate in the 1960s. So that rebellious
image was a deliberate rejection of his own stable
roots. It had to be. Although it is noted in
the sources that the fundamental passion was
always there. He always sang as a child, you
know, in the church choir. Right. And he loved
listening to singers on the radio, BBC, Radio
Luxembourg. watching them on TV and in movies.
So this wasn't some sudden haphazard ambition.
The joy of performance was an early constant.
So the foundation was stability and performance,
but the content that came from somewhere else.
Now we get to the most famous origin story in
rock history, the one that broke him out of that
middle -class trajectory, the meeting with Keith
Richards. The full story is actually a bit more
layered. They first met as classmates at Wentworth
Primary School way back in 1950. Oh, that early?
Yeah, but they lost contact when Jagger's family
moved. It was just a childhood friendship that
faded. The crucial second meeting, the one that
launched everything that happened over a decade
later. October 17th, 1961 at Dartford Railway
Station. And what sparked it, it wasn't just
a casual hello. It was the records Jagger was
carrying. Exactly. Chuck Berry's Rockin' at the
Hops and an album by Muddy Waters. In 1961 England,
these were not common LPs. Not at all. This revealed
a shared, specific, and frankly niche interest
in American R &B and electric blues, a sound
so far removed from the polite British pop of
the time, that instant recognition that he'd
found another blues devotee that cemented everything.
But this is where we connect the dots back to
your central point, the LSE background. This
is what you, the listener, really need to remember.
Before he was the rebel, he was a serious student.
Before dropping out in 63, Jagger had passed
seven O -levels and two A -levels. He was actively
studying finance and accounting at the prestigious
London School of Economics on a government grant.
And that's a key detail. LSE is not a party school.
No. It's a highly competitive institution known
for producing economists, politicians, business
leaders. He was legitimately on a path to a high
-powered, high -financed career. He absolutely
was. The sources make it clear he was not automatically
destined for rock stardom. He had seriously considered
becoming a journalist or even a politician. He
even compared the ambition of a politician, that
desire for influence, public performance, control,
to that of a pop star. Which suggests a deep,
lifelong fascination with public identity, with
brand management, with the control of large systems,
whether those systems were financial markets
or a global rock band. He was training to understand
the structure of wealth and power. while at the
same time falling in love with the music of rebellion.
The irony is just delicious. You have the future
CEO of a major touring corporation literally
training for that job while secretly building
the foundation of the world's greatest anti -corporate
band. He had the foresight of a banker and the
theatrical instincts of a bluesman. And that
foundation started simply. They were the blues
boys in the mid -50s, with Dick Taylor playing
the stuff they loved. Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf,
Chuck Berry, a deep immersion in authentic American
music. Their entry into the professional circuit
was through Alexis Corner's Blues, incorporated
at the legendary Ealing Club. Initially, they
played for basically no money, often borrowing
Corner's equipment. The hustle was real. Their
first recorded gig as a unit was July 12, 1962,
at the Marquee Club. The name was already chosen,
pulled from a Muddy Waters song, The Rolling
Stones. And that initial lineup, Jagger, Richards,
Brian Jones, Ian Stewart on piano, Dick Taylor
on bass, was just this... fluid group of young
guys captivated by American blues, just scraping
by, foreshadowing none of the global empire that
would follow. Okay, so once the basic structure
of the band was in place, the strategic move
that differentiated them from everyone else came
pretty quickly. Abandoning covers. Exactly. Abandoning
covers and establishing the Jagger -Richard songwriting
partnership. This was where the brand was truly
forged. And that shift was largely pushed by
their manager at the time, Andrew Logg Oldham.
was the one who saw the Beatles' success, driven
by Lennon and McCartney's originals, and recognized
that for real longevity and wealth, the LSE goal,
if you will, they needed intellectual property.
You can't just keep playing Willie Dixon and
Chuck Berry covers. Right. Though that partnership
took some time to develop. One of their earliest
compositions was As Tears Go By, but they actually
wrote it for Marianne Faithfull. It was almost
like a practice run. A practice run, yeah. But...
The real seismic events started with their own
material, like the last time, which was based
on a staplesinger spiritual. And then, of course,
I can't... get no satisfaction. That song, more
than any other, just immediately established
the Rolling Stones' image as defiant troublemakers.
And that intentional contrast was brilliant marketing.
The sources highlight it. They were positioned
in stark contrast to the Beatles' image as lovable
mop tops. The Beatles were safe for your parents.
The Stones were dangerous. It was so calculated.
Jagger initially claimed he was just being me,
not trying to be rebellious. But that very claim,
combined with the raw sound, the provocative
lyrics, it was an aggressive act of countercultural
rebellion. And the conservative social structure,
well, it responded in kind. By 1967, the band
faced intense scrutiny, culminating in the notorious
drug scandals. The spark was a News of the World
feature, pop stars and drugs, facts that will
shock you. And here's a deeply ironic detail.
The article's based on a reporter who misidentified
the drug user. He thought he saw Jagger when
it turned out to be Brian Jones. And Jagger,
the future legal architect of the band, actually
filed a libel writ against the paper. But the
authorities seized the opportunity anyway. Oh,
absolutely. Despite the libel writ, the police
hounded them, leading to unusually harsh sentences
that shocked even the British establishment.
This was about making an example of them. Jagger
was sentenced to three months for four over -the
-counter pep pills he bought legally in Italy.
Three months for that. And Richards. One year
for allowing cannabis to be smoked on his property.
That is just... Astronomically, it was so excessive
and it showed the cultural war being waged against
them. But the backlash was swift and powerful.
Even the traditionally conservative editor of
The Times, William Rees -Mogg, a very powerful
figure, openly criticized the sentences. In that
famous editorial, who breaks a butterfly upon
a wheel? Exactly. That was a watershed moment.
The public pressure became intense. Richard's
sentence was overturned. Jaggers was amended
to a conditional discharge, though he did spend
one night in Brixton prison. Yeah. And that whole
episode just solidified their image as martyrs
for the counterculture. It fused their legal
troubles directly into their artistic identity.
It turned them from rock stars into political
symbols. But as the 60s closed, that symbol became
stained with real tragedy and violence. We have
to talk about Brian Jones. Yeah. By the time
of the Beggar's Banquet album, Brian Jones, one
of the founders, was contributing only sporadically.
The weight of the lifestyle was just crushing
him. Jagger noted bluntly that Jones was not
psychologically suited to this way of life. The
discipline and financial acumen required to survive
the Stones. That was completely foreign to Jones's
erratic nature. He left the band in June 1969,
and less than a month later, he tragically drowned
at his home. Jagger's feelings on this, which
he expressed years later, are incredibly complex.
A lot of guilt. A deep sense of guilt, but also
distance. He admitted behaving childishly, picked
on him, but also said that Jones made himself
a target. He also confessed to a profound ignorance
about drug addiction back then, LSD and cocaine,
which made him unable to handle Jones's behavior.
And this tragedy immediately led to this massive
public moment of grieving. The Hyde Park concert,
two days after Jones's death, for 250 ,000 people.
They dedicated it to him. Jagger, wearing a white
dress red from Shelley's Adonais, released thousands
of butterflies. It was a huge stage theatrical
moment of mourning. A very controlled PR event
around a very messy tragedy. And that brief moment
of mournful beauty was swiftly eclipsed by the
catastrophe that definitively ended the decade.
The Altamont Free Concert. The dark mirror image
of Woodstock. Exactly. The fatal stabbing of
Meredith Hunter by a Hell's Angel near the stage
became, as the source states, symbolic for the
corruption of 1960s hippie idealism. It was absolute
chaos. Jagger later said he was scared shitless
on stage. He was. Altamont closed the 60s with
a literal bang, cementing the Stones' reputation
as the darker, more dangerous alternative, and
forcing Jagger to realize that rebellion had
real -world costs and it needed stricter management.
So if the 60s were about... building the anti
-establishment image and enduring the fallout,
the 70s were about survival and, critically,
financial shrewdness. Which takes us directly
back to the LSE training. This is the moment
the student becomes the CEO. This is where the
student of finance truly takes over. In early
71, Jagger and the Stones left the UK. They moved
to southern France as tax exiles. And the reason?
Avoiding Harold Wilson's labor government's punitive
93 % super tax on top earners. And you have to
understand, this wasn't just high taxation. This
was practically confiscatory. So this wasn't
some bohemian jaunt. This was a cold, hard, financially
calculated business decision to protect their
future earnings. Oh, completely. The records
show Jagger moved into his chateau near B .O.
in April 1971, just days before the new tax year
began. Timing tells you everything. And at the
same time, the band's structure shifted. They
split with their manager, Alan Klein. An acrimonious
split. They felt he'd poorly managed their finances,
their IP. So Jagger stepped into that void. He
assumed control of the band's entire business
affairs in 1971 and has managed the group ever
since. This is the moment the rock god becomes
a CEO. Right. And he establishes a framework
that protects their revenue streams for decades.
He brings in a key business advisor, Prince Rupert
Lowenstein, to ensure the financial operations
remained professional and separate from the artistic
chaos. And that transition of power created.
Well, immediate and predictable tension with
Keith Richards. Of course. While Jagger was structuring
the business for long -term survival, Richards
was descending into heroin addiction. For Richards,
Jagger's control looked like megalomania. But
for Jagger, it was simply securing their future,
ensuring they could keep touring and recording
on their own terms. It was a necessary schism.
Jagger's financial prudence saved the band's
viability, but it created an artistic and personal
gulf with Richards that would just widen over
the next decade. And alongside the financial
shift came an aesthetic one. The 70s saw Jagger
fully embrace the glam rock aesthetic. A decisive
move away from the ragged, hippie look. For their
huge 1972 American tour, The Exile Tour, he adopted
bold, glam rock clothing, jumpsuits, glitter
makeup. Transforming his stage persona again
into something theatrical, sexual, and utterly
polished. Pure theatrical genius. and strategic
image diversification. That famous jumpsuit from
the 72 tour is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
now. And defining albums just kept flowing, despite
the internal chaos. Think of the masterpiece
Exile on Main Street, recorded during the tax
exile. Music critic Russell Hall even singled
out Jagger's vocal on Let It Loose as his single
best vocal achievement. Which suggests that even
with all the administrative chaos, his artistic
power was peaking, evolving into a more emotional,
soulful space. It's also interesting to look
at his side ventures then. He released Jamming
with Edward in 72. Yeah, that wasn't a serious
artistic statement. It was just loose, impromptu
blues jams with Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Nikki
Hopkins, Rye Cooter. They recorded it while they
were waiting for Richards to show up to the studio.
That tells you a lot about the internal operations,
doesn't it? It does. Then the band faced more
turmoil in 74 when Mick Taylor unexpectedly left.
Which triggered this frantic, almost chaotic
search for a new guitarist. The recording sessions
for Black and Blue in 76 basically became an
informal audition period. The outcome was Ronnie
Wood joining in 75. And Wood quickly proved valuable
not just as a musician, but as an essential mediator
between the feuding Jagger and Richards. He was
a piece of necessary corporate infrastructure,
bridging the gap between the CEO and the chief
creative officer. And with Wood on board, the
band kept evolving. Their 78 album... Some girls
saw them famously venture into disco and punk
genres that were absolutely contemporary at the
time. And that direction was primarily led by
Jagger, showing his willingness to constantly
reinvent the brand, chase new sounds. Even if
it clashed with their blues roots, it kept them
relevant. OK, so if the 70s stabilized the Stones
as a financial entity, the 80s, the 80s nearly
tore them apart. Artistically and personally,
we enter the period famously dubbed World War
III. Where the relationship between the two main
partners just completely fractured. And this
rift had been developing for a decade. It was
noted as early as the emotional rescue sessions
in 1980. Richards desperately wanted to tour
to promote the album. He believed their power
was on the road. Right. But Jagger, who was more
focused on his own identity, pursuing a different
sound. He just declined. And that was the opening
salvo. And according to the sources, his motivation
wasn't just spite. It was a sincere desire to
establish an artistic identity for himself apart
from the Rolling Stones. He didn't want the band
to be the only thing defining his global image
anymore. He wanted his own narrative. So he launched
his solo career. She's the boss in 1985. And
the choice of producers was telling. Contemporary
giants. Nile Rodgers and Bill Laswell. Not old
blues cronies. He was collaborating with the
architects of modern pop and funk with musicians
like Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock, Pete Townshend.
And it was a commercially strong debut. Just
Another Night was a top 10 hit, which confirmed
he could succeed outside the mothership. And
he capitalized on that individual fame spectacularly
at Live Aid in 85, performing without the Stones.
Which led to those high profile collaborations,
the duet with Tina Turner. Where he famously
tore away her skirt on stage. And even more significant,
the transatlantic duet of Dancing in the Street
with David Bowie. The video was shown simultaneously
at Wembley and JFK stadiums. The single went
to number one in the UK. This was Jagger operating
as a massive, independent, global entertainment
force, proving his viability as a solo brand.
And that independence is exactly what fueled
World War III with Richards. Let's look at Richards'
side. He had managed to end his heroin use and
he became more present, more authoritative in
the band's decisions. And the sources suggest
Jagger resented that. He was not accustomed to
Richard's presence and felt his authority over
the business, the business he had rebuilt, was
being diminished. So when the Stones released
Dirty Work in 86, Jagger's response was decisive.
He flat out refused to tour. A decision that
was almost catastrophic for the brand. Touring
is the lifeblood of the Stones ecosystem. Shutting
that down meant shutting down the whole financial
engine. And Jagger defended it, saying he felt
he ought to be allowed to have one's artistic
side apart from just being in the Rolling Stones.
It was a primal clash of egos. The stability
of the billion -dollar band versus one individual's
artistic freedom. And the market responded. His
next solo album, Primitive Cool, didn't match
the debut's sales. And Richards quickly followed
with his own successful solo debut, Talk is Cheap.
And this period just cemented the feeling that
the Rolling Stones were not just resting, they
were over. So how did they bridge that massive
gulf? It took personal sacrifice and external
validation. They reunited in Barbados in 88,
and Richards recounts his sacrifice of taking
Jagger to discos, a scene he loathed. just to
humor him the pirate of rock and roll forcing
himself into a dance club just to placate the
rock ceo yeah the stakes must have been high
at the same time ron wood observed that the modest
sales of primitive cool had surprised jagger
jagger the ultimate businessman realized that
while he was a successful solo act the strength
of the band brand was exponentially greater than
his own and that realization coupled with richard's
willingness to compromise provided the bridge
The reconciliation resulted in dozens of new
songs, culminating in the 1989 album Steel Wheels,
and crucially, the massive 1989 -1990 world tour,
which proved the brand was not just alive, but
more lucrative than ever. So having survived
World War III, The Stones entered the 90s as
the undisputed champions of sustained touring
dominance. A financial machine engineered largely
by Jagger's business foresight, the LSE training
was fully manifesting. The numbers are just staggering.
The Voodoo Lounge Tour. in the mid -90s grossed
$320 million, a record at the time. Then, a Bigger
Bang tour in 2007 grossed $437 million, earning
them a Guinness World Record for the most lucrative
music tour ever. If you look at the cumulative
scale, the efficiency is clear. Between 1989
and 2001 alone, the Stones generated over $1
.5 billion in gross revenue. That's more than
U2, Springsteen, and Michael Jackson during that
same period. It confirms that the man who started
finance was now operating a meticulously managed
global financial entity that fundamentally changed
how Stadium Rock operates. And he was simultaneously
maintaining his own artistic vitality. He continued
his solo work. Wandering Spirit in 93 was successful,
featuring collaborations with contemporary artists
like Lenny Kravitz and Flea. Always assimilating
new sounds, staying current. Right. And he kept
up high -profile collaborations. After 9 -11,
he joined Richards for the concert for New York
City. Then in 2004, he co -wrote and performed
the Golden Globe -winning single Old Habits Die
Hard for the film Alfie. And that desire to constantly
fuse styles led to the formation of Super Heavy
in 2011. A true supergroup. Dave Stewart, Joss
Stone, Damian Marley, A .R. Rahman. The whole
idea was to fuse different musical styles, rock,
reggae, soul, Bollywood sounds. They reportedly
recorded 29 songs in just 10 days. Just incredible
creative energy. He also maintained his status
as a cultural figurehead at the highest levels.
In 2012, he performed blues at the White House
for President Obama. Which perfectly encapsulates
his shift from counterculture symbol to cultural
statesman. And the anecdote from that event is
fantastic. Oh, yeah. When Jagger performed Sweet
Home Chicago and held the mic out to the president,
Obama didn't hesitate. He just sang the line,
come on, baby, don't you want to go? A moment
that shows his universal cross -generational
reach. He also continued to engage with his own
history, headlining Glastonbury in 2013, playing
Hyde Park for the first time since the 69 tribute
to Brian Jones. But despite all the establishment
recognition, he remained highly engaged with
current politics. The post -Brexit single. Yes.
In 2017, he released Gotta Get a Grip. England
lost as a direct response to the anxiety, unknowability
of the changing political situation. He never
fully shed that politicized image from the 60s.
Which brings us to the challenges of aging. Despite
his famously healthy lifestyle, running, kickboxing,
ballet, yoga, he faced a major health scare in
2019. The heart procedure. He had to postpone
the tour for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement,
a TAVR. And the fact that he needed it. Speaks
to the challenges of age, but the speed of his
recovery. That speaks to the incredible physical
discipline from his PE teacher father. It was
successful, and he resumed the tour after just
a six -week delay. It's almost unbelievable.
It's pure athleticism. The sources estimate he
covers between 5 and 12 miles on stage per show.
That's a 10K run while singing. And the band
kept breaking records. The 2020 reissue of Goat's
Head Soup topped the UK charts, making them the
first band to hit number one across six different
decades. Then, in response to COVID, they released
Living in a Ghost Town. Their first original
music since 2012. It reached number one on the
German singles chart, their first time in 52
years, making them the oldest artist ever to
do so. Astonishing ability to maintain contemporary
relevance. But tragically, the era of the core
lineup ended in 2021 with the loss of Charlie
Watts. And the question was, could they survive
it? They opted to carry on because, as Jagger
said, it was what Charlie wanted us to do. During
the first post -Watt show, Jagger dedicated it
to him, recalling that Watts held the band together,
a deeply personal loss that required the CEO
to manage an intensely emotional crisis for the
organization. So beyond the stage and the balance
sheets, Jagger's personal life has been a relentless
public presence, and we have to address it not
as gossip, but as a crucial engine that fueled
the band's imagery and often... the music itself.
The sheer volume of it tells a story. Eight children
with five women, seven grandchildren, and as
of 2024, three great -grandchildren. He's running
his own dynasty. If we trace a few key relationships,
his time with Marianne Faithfull was incredibly
influential. She was the quintessential counterculture
muse of the late 60s. They co -wrote Sister Morphine.
Then there was Marsha Hunt, mother of his first
child, Karis, and rumored to be the inspiration
for Brown Sugar. His official marriage was to
Bianca Perez Mora Macias from 71 to 78. Bianca
was a style icon, the jet -set muse for the early
70s Stones. His longest partnership was with
Jerry Hall from 77 to 99. They had an unofficial
ceremony in Bali, but it was later declared invalid
after she discovered his affair with Luciana
Jimenez. And of course, the affair with Carla
Bruni, who later became the first lady of France.
This pattern of high profile partners consistently
kept his image in the public eye, leveraging
personal intrigue into cultural capital. More
recently, he was with designer Elren Scott until
her tragic suicide in 2014. She left her entire
estate to him, and he in turn established a scholarship
in her honor. And then most recently, he welcomed
his eighth child, Devereux, with Melanie Hamrick
in 2016, a father again at 73. And this brings
us back to his professional diversification.
His film career. The early roles in performance
in Ned Kelly often blurred the line between the
rock star and the character. What's fascinating
are the rules he almost took. He auditioned for
Dr. Frank N. Furter in Rocky Horror and was approached
for Jodorowsky's Dune. He had to leave Werner
Herzog's Fitzcarraldo because of Stone's touring
conflicts. And that last detail is key. It shows
the Stone's business always took ultimate priority.
The CEO protects the core asset. And that business
focus extended into production. He co -founded
Jag - He even extended his influence into TV.
He co -created and executive produced the HBO
drama Vinyl alongside Martin Scorsese. He became
the custodian and narrator of the very mythology
he lived. All these threads, the business, the
sexuality, the performance, contribute to his
massive endurance. legacy. Philip Norman described
him as having a disturbingly physical power,
comparing his early style to a male ballet dancer
with conflicting sexuality. And we shouldn't
overlook his vocal impact. Stephen Van Zandt
noted that the acceptance of Jagger's voice on
pop radio was a turning point because his bluesy
delivery broke the door open for others like
Eric Burden and Van Morrison. And that physical
vitality is legendary. He's now a poster boy
for healthy living. It's no wonder he was knighted
in 2003, though he said the honor was less significant
to him than the pride it brought his father,
a final nod to his Dartford roots. But maybe
the most unexpected testament to his impact is
outside of music entirely. There are multiple
fossil species named after him. Jagger Marix
Naida, a 19 -million -year -old long -legged
pig whose lips scientists thought resembled his.
And Petroperla Mick Jaggery, a stonefly placed
in a new family called Petroperlidae, or simply
rolling stoneflies. His influence extends into
the paleontological record. You know, for a man
who defined rebellious youth and longevity, the
greatest irony is the one he imposed on himself,
that 1975 quote, I'd rather be dead than sing
Satisfaction when I'm 45. And here he is, well
into his 70s, still performing it to What an
incredible journey. The middle class LSE student
who became the king of Dionysian swagger, defining
the anti -establishment while simultaneously
using his sharp business instincts to ensure
his own wealth and longevity. And that tension
between the wild persona and the astute. cautious
CEO, it isn't a contradiction. No, it's the single
defining brilliant feature of his entire career.
And if we connect this to the bigger picture,
his greatest talent, aside from performing, might
truly be his ability to surround himself with
a group of very able executives. By taking control
in 71, he fundamentally changed how a rock band
operated. He turned the Stones into a vertically
integrated multinational corporation. He's a
pioneer of the modern music industry, a model
copied by every billion dollar touring act that
followed. So what does this all mean for the
legacy? It means that behind the lips and the
glitter, there is a meticulous calculating genius.
And our sources point to one final provocative
mystery that encapsulates this duality. The rebels
refusal to fully reveal the CEO. Exactly. The
source notes that Jagger, despite refusing to
write an autobiography, was once persuaded to
prepare a manuscript in the early 80s. He completed
a massive 75 ,000 -word manuscript. But then,
in a moment of extreme control, he withdrew his
support and it remains unpublished, locked away.
So considering his early ambitions, his unique
position as the rebellious frontman who was also
the CFO of this massive machine, we have to ponder.
What untold stories, what essential business
insights, and what final true definitions of
its complicated identity are locked away in those
75 ,000 words. That unreleased manuscript might
be the final piece of the puzzle. And until it
sees the light of day, the true depth of Sir
Mick Jagger's mastery remains tantalizingly out
of reach.