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From a teenager in Dartford, South London obsessed with Little Richard and Muddy Waters, Mick Jagger grew into a one of music's most iconic front men and leading The Rolling Stones from their roots as 1960s R&B bad boys to undisputed rock and roll legends. Despite the years of decadence, hedonism and tragedies, they were riding high again by 1981 and scored classic single 'Start Me Up', celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band and signed a $50 million record deal with CBS (the biggest ever at the time). Unrelenting tours and chaotic lifestyles were starting to take there toll though, and by the mid-80s a rift had opened up between Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. The iconic warbler retreated to the Bahamas to record his debut solo album 'She's the Boss' with producers Nile Rodgers and Bill Laswell, and cooked up a brash, soulful pop record that chimed with the slick, glossy style of the era more than it did with the Stones' swaggering bar-room blues-rock. Featuring contributions from Pete Townshend, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck and Sly Dunbar, the album reached number six in the UK Charts in 1985, while Jagger also featured on The Jacksons' hit 'State of Shock' and teamed up with David Bowie for the Live Aid charity single 'Dancing in the Street'. He followed up with the Dave Stewart-produced 'Primitive Cool' and confronted his feud with Richards on tracks like 'Shoot Off Your Mouth' and 'Kow Tow'; but the album's sharp, spiky feel failed to make much of an impact and was seen as a commercial flop. Resolving his differences with Richards, Jagger re-established The Rolling Stones as a stadium-filling juggernaut through the 1990s, but continued to crave solo fame and worked with producer Rick Rubin, guitarist Lenny Kravitz, Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers and saxophonist Courtney Pine on the well-received 'Wandering Spirit'. His biggest attempt to create a wired, contemporary new sound came on 'Goddess in the Doorway' in 2001, featuring Wyclef Jean and Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, before he formed the super group SuperHeavy with Joss Stone, Damian Marley, Dave Stewart and AR Rahman and sought to mash together rock, electronic, soul, reggae and classical sounds. Still one of music's biggest draws, The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and Jagger was given a knighthood in 2002 before fathering his eighth child in 2016 at the age of 73.
Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
