The Rolling Stones’ singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards have marked the 60th anniversary of their first proper meeting.
The singer and the guitarist engaged in conversation for the first time on a platform in Dartford station on October 17, 1961, before they formed the Stones the following year. A blue plaque commemorating the moment was unveiled back in 2015.
Mick Jagger, aged 18, arrived on platform two of Dartford Station to travel to the London School of Economics where he was studying. Shortly afterwards, 17-year-old Keith Richards arrived on the same platform. He was on his way to Sidcup Art College, carrying his hollow-bodied Höfner cutaway electric guitar. Jagger was holding some of his prized blues records and the two teenagers recognized each other as they had both attended Wentworth Primary School in the town.
Jagger and Richards marked the 60th anniversary of that famous meeting last night (October 17) during their gig at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
After the show, the Stones shared an image of a special plectrum that featured an image of Jagger and Richards along with the words “17 October 1961-2021 – 60 years on the same train.”
60 years on the same train
Photo by Theodora Richards pic.twitter.com/jr93mWvazB
— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) October 18, 2021
The Stones are currently on their rescheduled ‘No Filter’ tour of North America, with the band performing ‘Connection’ earlier this month for the first time in 15 years.
On the tour Last week, Jagger responded to a recent jibe from Paul McCartney about the Stones while on stage. Comparing The Beatles and the Stones, McCartney told the New Yorker: “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are. I think our net was cast a bit wider than theirs.”
Jagger addressed McCartney’s comments while on the stage in LA, saying that “There’s so many celebrities here tonight: Megan Fox is here, she’s lovely. Leonardo DiCaprio. Lady Gaga. Kirk Douglas. Paul McCartney is here, he’s going to help us – he’s going to join us in a blues cover later.”
