Mick Jagger Argued With Security to Get John Lennon Into a Museum Gala
In the 1970s, Mick Jagger stopped by John Lennon and May Pang’s apartment on his way to the fall opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On a whim, he invited Lennon and Pang to accompany him and his wife, Bianca. They reluctantly agreed, but Lennon didn’t want to change for the event. When they arrived, the Jaggers had to convince the guard to let Lennon and Pang into the museum.
Mick Jagger and John Lennon spent time together in the 1970s
When Lennon and Pang were living together, Jagger often stopped by to visit.
“Mick’s visits were low-key, yet I still sensed an air of mischief about him,” Pang wrote in the book Loving John. “At a moment’s notice he was capable of surprise, and he and everyone else knew it.”
She said they often ordered food and spent a relaxing evening together.
“Mick usually brought something to drink, and John and he would spend their evenings together, drinking wine and sitting back and relaxing,” she wrote. “Mick loved takeout Chinese food. During those visits I’d call out and order our favorite dishes. Then, after we ate, John and Mick sometimes played their guitars and sang a bit, or we all watched television.”
Mick Jagger invited John Lennon and May Pang to a museum gala
The Jaggers were staying at Andy Warhol’s house in Montauk for the summer and early fall, but they drove into New York City for The Met’s fall opening. Jagger stopped to see Pang and Lennon and, after a quick visit, invited them to the gala and the beach house.
“John liked the idea of going to the beach, but he didn’t much care about the museum opening,” Pang wrote. “Mick began to twist his arm. ‘Come on. Come on. Let’s go.’ John looked reluctant, but Mick would not take no for an answer. ‘All right, we’ll go,’ John finally said.”
When Pang asked what she should wear, Jagger told them to come as they were. She was in a jumpsuit and Lennon was in a t-shirt and jeans, but she knew she should push him to change.
“I knew that if I told John to get dressed in something more conventional, he would just lose the impetus to go,” she wrote. “So I just looked at him very coolly and said, ‘I’m ready if you are. Just throw some things into an overnight bag.’”
They both put on matching velvet jackets over their clothes and headed out. The guard at the museum door was not nearly as relaxed about their clothing as Jagger had been, though.
“The museum opening was black-tie, and at the museum entrance the guard collecting the invitations stopped us and said to John, ‘I’m sorry sir, but you can’t come in. You’re not dressed for the occasion.’”
The Jaggers intervened.
“John was ready to turn away, but Mick wouldn’t have it,” Pang wrote. “He stood there arguing with the guard. ‘How could you turn away John Lennon? I can’t believe you wouldn’t let John Lennon in.’ Then Bianca stepped forward. She was very charming, then she was very firm, then she was charming again. Her determination was awesome. Finally the guard gave in and let us all in.”
They accompanied the Jaggers to Montauk
After the museum opening, the group drove to Montauk. They found their time there enjoyable, even coming across a house Lennon wanted to buy, but they didn’t like where they were staying.
“When we got up, we looked around Warhol’s house,” Pang wrote. “An old mansion at the water’s edge, the house was very large and did not have a folksy feel to it, and John and I didn’t really like it.”
