Some artists appear to be the ones to whom everything comes. Unquestionably, a select group of untouchable titans who helped to shape the world of music into what it is today inspire musicians of all stripes. One of them is Elvis Presley, and Mick Jagger was, up until a certain moment, always devoted to his family.
One cannot overstate Presley’s influence on Jagger. Everyone regard The Rolling Stones singer as the greatest frontman of all time. Many frequently copy him but never surpass him. His distinctive dance moves and swagger have made him one of the most sought-after tickets in the industry. Millions of people still beg to see the band live even after decades into their career and as they become OAPs, all to see Jager in action.
But if it weren’t for Presley—Jagger acknowledges that The King was his original inspiration—that wouldn’t be the case. Regarding his early performances, he recalled, “I saw Elvis and Gene Vincent, and I thought, ‘Well, I can do this’. He drew inspiration from the two icons to create his own, now-famous style.
Even though Jagger was a big fan of Presley at first, there came a time when he felt the singer had overreached, defaming himself and ruining his reputation. The singer of The Stones, who had previously declared he would give up rock & roll by the time he was in his 30s, made the vow never to make this decision.
“I’ll give up when I’m 33; I don’t want to be a rock star all my life,” he claimed. “It would be unbearable for me to perform in Las Vegas like Elvis Presley, surrounded by elderly women and housewives carrying handbags. It’s quite ill.
He saw Presley’s Vegas years as a complete horror show and vowed to stay away from them in his own career. That opinion isn’t particularly controversial because it’s widely accepted that the performer was at his worst in his later years.
However, Presley wasn’t truly at blame for that. Rather, it was just a part of Colonel Tom Parker, his manager’s long-standing, dubious character. As told in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis retrospective, the Colonel effectively put him under contract. He did this by keeping him at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. However, he refused to allow him to tour abroad. Ultimately, he performed 636 times in the hotel ballroom. During these performances, he traced his lowest points. His marriage broke down, his health declined, and his overall state of affairs became evident.
But Jagger’s appreciation for Presley overcame even if that late-stage King was a warning sign for him. Jagger described the musician, who is currently 80 years old and still performing, as “a unique artist – an original in an area of imitators.” Clearly, the image of an exhausted Elvis wasn’t enough to force him to keep his word and stop performing.
