Mick Jagger biography

Tragedy Strikes

In 1967, Jagger's personal life made headlines. He and his girlfriend, singer Marianne Faithfull, were among those arrested during a police raid of Keith 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.

In 1969, the Rolling Stones went through several big changes. Brian Jones left the group that June after his many drug arrests prevented him from leaving the country for the group's 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 coronor'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' untimely demise, The Rolling Stones performed a free concert in Hyde Park on July 5, 1969, two days after Jones' 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' 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.

Branching Out

Outside of the band, Jagger was branching out in acting. He played the title character, a legendary outlaw, in the film Ned Kelly (1970). In Performance (1970), Jagger played a reclusive rock star. Neither film made much of an impression on movie audiences.

While film success escaped him, Jagger remained a popular rock star. The Rolling Stones had several hit albums in the 1970sSticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main Street (1972), and Some Girls (1978). By the mid-1980s, relationship between Jagger and Richards had become increasingly strained. Jagger focused much of his energy on a solo career with mixed results. While his first effort, 1985's She's the Boss, sold well enough to go platinum, his second album Primitive Cool (1987) failed to interest music buyers.