The loose-limbed Lucifer of the rock inferno on rock music, cocaine and why he prefers showers to baths.
Mick Jagger is more than just a singer in a rock n’ roll band. He has been one of rock’s most fascinating and mysterious personalities. The Jagger mystique has been fueled in large part by his lyrics, which range from moon-June love plaints to discussions of Faustian mysticism, all delivered in a deft yet offhand manner that makes the singer seem credible in the song. His feel for interpreting black American blues singers has helped the Rolling Stones make their reputation as one of the best white blues bands. His extramusical exploits, from affairs with models and socialites to his history-making liaisons with Marianne Faithfull and Bianca Jagger, have always been top-line news for the gossip pages. Even when the Rolling Stones are out of the public eye Jagger is ever-present—socialite, sex symbol, the man everyone recognizes, Jagger’s multifaceted talent has also enabled him to translate his persona to film roles—in Performance and Ned Kelly—with ease.