Happy 80th Birthday to a man of wealth and taste 

When I first spotted the Rolling Stones gliding across my parent’s television set in 1981, it changed my tween life forever.

(Kinda like those thousands of kids who were never the same after they saw the Beatles appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show” many years earlier.) 

There was an excitement about the Rolling Stones that drew me in. They got into my soul and stayed there. 

I still remember the night I first discovered the British band. It was Monday Nov. 30, and the usual evening ritual was underway. My mom was cleaning up the kitchen after another one of her homecooked meals, and my dad was sitting in the family room watching Channel 7 Action News.

As I begrudgingly got out my sixth-grade homework, my eyes darted over to the TV as the news reported the Rolling Stones were in town to perform two nights at the Pontiac Silverdome: Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. 

I had heard of the Rolling Stones, but I don’t think I actually laid eyes on them before. As I watched the telecast, I saw footage of the band on a large stage performing in concert under a spotlight. 

Leading the band was a skinny guy dancing funky and pointing at the audience. He wore a colorful football jersey, supertight football pants and kneepads. It was my informal introduction to lead singer and charismatic frontman Mick Jagger. What swagger. Next to him was a cigarette-smoking guitar player with skinny elbows named Keith Richards. 

I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. Seeing the band lit a fire inside me. I felt inspired. Knowing they were in town, I asked my parents if I could go to their concert. They both said “no,” and gave me a brief speech about how the Rolling Stones were on drugs. And that was that.

But I still became a Stones fanatic. Still am. No “Mixed Emotions” here.

My dad, who got up at 4 a.m. to go to work every day and didn’t get home until 4 p.m., always brought home “The Detroit Free Press.” I read the comics and entertainment section religiously, and that week, the newspaper published a special section dedicated to the Rolling Stones. I still have it. It’s like the bible for Stones followers. 

My first year at Holly Jr. High School, when I discovered the band, was rough. I got called “freak” and “loser” a lot and it made me hate school. One of the things that got me through junior high hell was listening to my growing vinyl record collection. One of those albums was the Stones’ “Hot Rocks 1964-71.” Listening to songs like “Time Is On My Side” and “Heart of Stone” while nestled inside my sunshine-colored bedroom made me happy. I never got tired of hearing the music, reading the linear notes, and looking at the photos. It all struck a creative chord with me.

While Keith Richards was my favorite band member — I mean, come on, we share the same birthday — I’ve had my Mick moments, too. For instance, when I worked at Harmony House, I played the music idol’s solo CD “Wandering Spirit” every day for weeks in 1993. That’s why I had to write something on my blog in honor of the singer’s 80th birthday.

Turning 80 looks good on Mick. He’s a rock ‘n’ roll icon, a legend, a superstar, and one heck of a businessman. He can command a stage before thousands of people with so much drive and self-confidence. The man kicks ass. He’s also controversial, with his women and his wealth. And once upon a time, he was one of the bad boys of rock. I don’t know…maybe the deuce is still wild.

If my parents were concerned about me liking the Stones, they shouldn’t have been. If anything, the band had a positive impact on me. I took my piano lessons more seriously, and the band is one of the reasons I became a writer. (Speaking of writing, I don’t think Jagger and Richards ever received enough credit for their songwriting.) 

Some people rag on the Stones for being too old. Whatever. I say good for them for still rocking out the hits. The music world would not be the same without Mick Jagger running around stages all over the world.  

I always remember the day Mick Jagger turned 40 back in 1983. I had bowling league that day and locked myself out of the house. Anyway, his 40-year milestone was such a big deal. There were news stories about it. People seemed shocked that a man his age was still rocking and rolling. 

My parents finally became hip to the Rolling Stones. I wouldn’t say they became fans, but they relaxed about my healthy obsession with the band. My mom would laugh so hard at Mick Jagger’s dance moves. She also got a kick out of late drummer Charlie Watts because she felt he was too normal for the Stones.

I’ve attended three Rolling Stones concerts: two at the Silverdome in Pontiac and one at Ford Field in Detroit. I’ll share a couple memories. At one show, there was a woman sitting across the aisle and a couple rows up. She must have been eight months pregnant with twins. She danced so much that night in her denim jean dress. I don’t know how someone that pregnant could dance like that, but she pulled it off. Another memory I have is of a guy in a fishing hat who went nuts when the band went into “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.”

Someone once said about the Stones, “They’re so ugly, they’re appealing.” I would agree. 

Happy Birthday, Mick Jagger. Thanks for all the hip-shaking rock ‘n’ roll.

In Harmony,

Maria Allard