Fame and Celebrity: Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger is one of the most popular and influential front men in the history of rock and roll. At the age of 19, Mick began performing as a singer even though he had no formal musical training and did not know how to read music. Jagger fronted the British rock band The Rolling Stones with guitarist friend Keith Richard for over 20 years before he began a solo career in 1985. The Rolling Stones debut was in 1961 the band had little money and no equipment. Three short years later The Rolling Stones were polled England’s most popular group, outranking even the Beatles. In the book According to the Rolling Stones, Jagger states 'I was always a singer. I always sang as a child. I was one of those kids who just liked to sing' (Jagger, 2003). Born into middle class family, Jagger’s accomplishments of being a Golden Globe-winning and two-time Grammy-winning actor, songwriter, record/film producer and businessman pushed him to be categorized as an achieved celebrity. Rojek states that an achieved celebrity 'derives from the perceived accomplishments of the individual… In the public realm they are recognized as individuals who possess rare talents or skills' (Rojek, 2001, p.18). The intension of this essay is to discuss how celebrity achieved rock stars become attributed through cultural intermediaries and in the case Mick Jagger, what impact does knighting have on celebrity status.

Rojek defines cultural intermediaries as 'the collective term for agents, publicists, marketing personnel, promoters.... Their task is to concoct the public presentation of celebrity personalities that will result in an enduring appeal for the audience of fans.' (Rojek, 2001, p.10-11). Often cultural intermediaries focus on what sells to the consumer... in the case of The Stones this was scandal. In 1967 Jagger and Richards were arrested on drug charges, they were only given conditional discharge. An article in The London Times was released stating 'only The Rolling Stones could be arrested...