The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger Said Brian Jones Criticized Him for His ‘Feminine Moments’
As the frontman for The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger might be one of the most recognizable faces in music history. Jagger and lead guitarist Keith Richards don’t always see eye to eye — Richards once said he dislikes Jagger 1% of the time — but the duo has long been the guiding force of the band that celebrated its 60th birthday in 2022. Most of the intra-band tensions worked themselves out, but Jagger once said former Stones member Brian Jones criticized him for his “feminine moments.”
Mick Jagger once said androgyny is ingrained in rock n roll music
Jagger’s swagger, cocksure attitude, and high-profile relationships with several women paint a masculine picture. Yet the singer once said androgyny has always been a part of rock n roll.
Once Jagger and the Stones ditched the suits and implemented a more personal style, the singer took inspiration from the likes of Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly. In his mind, some of the best performers to come before him blurred gender lines, and Jagger once said he considered that a key part of rock music.
Jagger embraced androgyny in his personal style, and the Stones once went to a bar in drag between photoshoot sessions. Brian Jones was part of the crew that went drinking in drag, but he still criticized Jagger for his style.
Brian Jones once criticized Mick Jagger for his “feminine moments”
Jagger is no stranger to wearing flashy clothes and donning a bit of makeup when he’s on stage. To him, rock music is a theatrical spectacle, and makeup and costumes are all part of the theater.
Still, Jagger once revealed that former Rolling Stones member Jones criticized him for his “feminine moments,” as Express reported:
“I didn’t even know I was doing androgyny. I was so naive. But I was. I was doing androgyny. But obviously, that was just the way I was, you know, I was a bit fey. I remember Brian being rather critical of me once because he thought I was too feminine. I mean, I had my moments of that.”
Mick Jagger on being criticized by Brian Jones for his andogyny
“There’s a lot of camp background to theater, and rock and roll is still part theater in a way,” Jagger went on to say. “I had a great makeup artist called Pierre who would dress me up, like, wildly, and I’d have to take some of the layers off! And, you know, I loved it. I loved dressing up. Of course, you dress up very effeminately, but you don’t act necessarily feminine.”
Jones criticized Jagger for his style, but his look blurred the lines at times. Jones appears to wear makeup and some boldly-styled clothes in the “Sympathy for the Devil” video from 1968. Still, there’s no doubt Jagger had the eyes of the world on him as The Rolling Stones became one of the biggest bands around.
Jagger’s style has inspired other musicians
Not long after Jagger set the tone for androgyny in rock music, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury followed in his footsteps. KISS, Alice Cooper, and Marilyn Manson rely on makeup in their style.
Harry Styles’ wardrobe has clearly been inspired by Jagger’s iconic look. It’s not hard to look at Styles’ video for “As It Was” and see Jagger’s influence on his style and dance moves.
Brian Jones criticized Jagger for his feminine moments, but it’s clear the singer’s style left its mark on rock music.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
