Bandmates lead tributes as Mick Jagger turns 80

Bandmates Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood led the birthday wishes for The Rolling Stones’ legendary frontman Mick Jagger, as he turned 80 on Wednesday.

Guitarist Richards, with whom Jagger has enjoyed one of the most fruitful — if not fractious — partnerships in rock’n’roll history, tweeted: “Happy Birthday, Mick. Long may we keep saying this to each other, Happy 80th! Love, Keith”.

He also posted a video in which he joked with his bandmate to “give me a call, let me know what it is like”.

Wood, meanwhile, shared a timeline of intimate photographs on his Instagram page, along with the caption: “Happy 80th birthday to @mickjagger!”

The official Rolling Stones Twitter account told the charismatic singer to “keep on rockin” and posted a video of moments from his monumental 60-year career.

Fans also paid tribute as they visited the band’s official store in Carnaby Street, the heart of so-called Swinging 60s London.

“I’ve known of the Rolling Stones since ’65,” said Alfred Millington, 75.

“They were rock stars. Mick was leading them so he brought into my life the real meaning of rock. As a person and as a performer.

“Happy birthday. Have a still longer, nice, happy life. You meant a lot to me,” he added.

Highlighting the band’s intergenerational appeal, Jack Green, 19, said he had been a fan since he was 11.

“My dad always had this greatest hits CD that was always on in the car, so that’s what got me into them,” he explained.

“It’s mad that he’s made it that far. He’s lived a very fulfilling life, hasn’t he?”

“Thank you very much for your music. Love it,” he added.

— Still rockin’ —

Despite the decades piling on, the Rolling Stones frontman is still strutting and gyrating in front of packed-out arenas, most recently touring Europe to mark the band’s 60th anniversary.

The icon of 60s counterculture underwent a heart valve replacement in 2019, but his regime of running, kick-boxing, cycling and yoga has maintained his svelte figure and longevity as an energetic showman.

With songs like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, “Gimme Shelter”, “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Not Fade Away”, the Rolling Stones helped detonate the cultural and social explosion of the 1960s.

The charismatic frontman built a reputation for pushing boundaries, taking full advantage of the era’s sexual revolution and recreational drug use.