Singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones perform on the band's No Filter tour in East Rutherford, NJ, on August 1, 2019. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Rolling Stones fans might be shocked to hear it, but before the band truly hit the big time, Mick Jagger was focused on the future. His future.
Before the Rolling Stones really hit it big, Jagger was sufficiently concerned about what he'd do for money decades into the future that he actually talked with the Stones' former accountant about the possibility of setting up a pension plan.
Lots of younger people could take a lesson from the aging rocker, who, according to a report in Rolling Stone, didn't see himself still prancing about onstage before screaming crowds well into his 70s.
In fact, Laurence Myers, that former accountant, is quoted in the report saying, "[Mick had] studied at the London School of Economics before abandoning his academic career to join the Rolling Stones, so he knew it [was] a good idea, especially since he thought he wouldn't be singing at 60, let alone 76. He was a very smart man then and still is, which is why he's still singing rock & roll now."
The issue arose back in 1964, when the band was "technically rich" but not actually seeing the benefits of their success in actual cash flow. So Jagger's thoughts turned to those days far into the future, when he anticipated that the band's heady ride would likely be long over.
Ultimate Classic Rock quotes Myers saying, "The Rolling Stones had early success but they weren't making any money. I did their 1964 tour accounts and they made nothing from it. One day Mick and I were talking about a variety of things and pensions came up. He said, 'Pensions, maybe I should think about it? I won't be singing rock 'n' roll when I'm 60.'"
Fortunately for fans, Jagger was wrong about that—but having a care for his future was definitely the right thing to do. Reunion tours notwithstanding, there are plenty of names from the 60s and 70s that have vanished into obscurity. Whether they were foresighted enough to set aside some of their flash earnings from Fillmore East and the Village Gate to see them through their old age is a matter to consider…
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
