Mick Jagger Says Rock ‘Isn’t Supposed to Be Done’ at His Age
Even though Mick Jagger is still going strong at the age of 78, the singer admitted the energetic rock lifestyle wasn’t made for septuagenarians.
"Rock ’n’ roll, or any kind of pop music honestly, isn’t supposed to be done when you’re in your 70s,” the singer admitted to The Sunday Times. “It wasn’t designed for that. Doing anything high-energy at this age is really pushing it. But that makes it even more challenging. So it’s, like, ‘OK, we’ve got to fucking do this right,’ but it’s got to be as full-on as possible. Of course, you could do another type of music — we’ve got lots of ballads. I could sit on a chair.”
Jagger went on to detail the training routine he undergoes to stay tour ready. “Six weeks of practice even before rehearsals start,” he noted. “And I do dancing, gym, every day of the week. I don’t enjoy it very much, but it has to be done.”
The singer also takes precautions when on the road. Jagger, who underwent heart surgery in 2019, now has a cardiologist that travels with him on tour.
Like their frontman, the other members of the Rolling Stones have made lifestyle adjustments in order to continue rocking in their 70s.
Ronnie Wood, who has had battles with lung and small-cell cancers in recent years, said he focuses on staying limber. “I try to keep moving, keep my joints warmed up — stretches and stuff," the guitarist explained. Meanwhile, Keith Richards, who quit smoking in 2020 after more than 50 years, claimed to have dropped almost all of his vices.
"I may or may not have a stiff drink, but usually I don’t," the Stones cofounder admitted. "You know, you grow out of everything. I’ve spent all my life giving up things, so that’s about it now.”
The Rolling Stones are preparing for an extended tour of Europe. The trek kicks off June 1 in Spain and wraps July 31 in Sweden.