Mick Jagger Pushes Back on ‘Control Freak’ Reputation

Mick Jagger insists he’s not a control freak, despite having been described as such in the past.

The Rolling Stones frontman recently appeared on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, where he and the comedian discussed a variety of topics from throughout Jagger’s legendary career.

At one point, O’Brien recalled watching Jagger backstage at an event and witnessing how involved he was with all of the show’s details.

“I looked back at Keith [Ricahrds], and I said, ‘Was this Mick in 1962?’” O’Brein remembered. “He said, ‘Yes.’”

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The former late night host then asked Jagger about his role as “the organizer, the manager, the guy who's keeping it together” in the Rolling Stones.

“Sometimes I was called a control freak,” Jagger admitted, “but I'm not a control freak at all. I like to delegate. The thing about doing this kind of thing is you delegate these big jobs.”

Mick Jagger Checks Every Rolling Stones Crowd

Jagger admitted he regularly checks and approves various details for Rolling Stones events, from venue choice to special guests. One thing the rocker does before every show is look out and get a feel for the crowd.

“You've got to see the room full,” he explained. “What kind of people are there? How many people are there? What does the room feel like? I think that's important… You do want to fill the room because how your behavior would be, how the audience is going to react. I mean, so I think all that sort of stuff is really important.”

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The Rolling Stones recently released Foreign Tongues, the twenty-fifth studio album of their iconic career. While they don’t have any performances currently scheduled, Jagger has previously suggested the group will play some gigs in 2027.