Happy Birthday to the British King of Rock
Today is a momentous occasion – it’s the day a living legend of rock & roll turns 79 years old. Here at Mecca, we’d like to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the one and only Mick Jagger!
With an iconic career spanning no less than six decades, we thought we’d take the time to talk about the dynamic, charismatic and rebellious lead vocalist of The Rolling Stones – and how his interests are a little closer to ours than you might think…
The English singer-songwriter was born in Dartford. He attended Wentworth Primary School in 1950, where he met fellow co-founder of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards. While no one could have imagined it at the time, the two would go on to form one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in global history. Throughout his childhood, Mick took any opportunity to sing and ended up dropping out of school in 1961 to pursue his musical career. He performed for a short period in The Blue Boys with Keith Richards and Dick Taylor, and they soon joined Brian Jones and Ian Stewart’s rhythm blues band, The Rolling Stones, in 1962.
It didn’t take long for them to develop an underground fan following in London – and 2 weeks before releasing their debut album in 1964, they played Stevenage’s Locarno Ballroom to the joy of a screaming crowd. We’re proud to say that this legendary venue is now none other than a Mecca Bingo club! The Rolling Stones’ first major breakthrough came with the release of The Last Time in 1965. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction was released a few months later, paving the way for a worldwide tour and millions of ticket sales.
As a lead singer, frontman and founding member of the iconic rock band, The Rolling Stones, Mick’s achievements have been nothing short of staggering. As both a solo artist and Rolling Stones member, Mick has had 13 number one singles in the UK and US, 32 singles in the top 10, 70 singles in the top 40, and has sold an estimated 200 million albums worldwide. Since 1968, he has appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine over 20 times, and in 2003, he was knighted for his services to popular music. Well, we can’t say we’re surprised at that one!
So, how does an illustrious rockstar who can do just about anything in the world like to spend his spare time? Can you guess? It may interest you to know that Mick’s a big fan of the world’s best game: BINGO! A keen player for many years, Mick has been known to host large bingo parties with his friends from his luxury home in Richmond. So, next time you’re told that bingo and rock ‘n’ roll don’t mix, tell them to take it up with Mr. Jagger…
We hope you liked finding out more about the lead singer of The Rolling Stones and his phenomenal career. Happy birthday, Mick – here’s hoping you manage to squeeze in some birthday bingo!
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