Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!

The Rolling Stones in the press: “Mick Jagger punched by customs official”

*From KRLA Beat magazine, USA, May 20 1967

*Click for more YESTERDAY’S PAPERS

So, did Mick Jagger really get punched in 1967? Not quite, but the guy definitely had a knack for stirring up trouble—and headlines. Over the years, Jagger, being the poster child for rock’n’roll rebellion, had his fair share of run-ins with the law, each one adding a layer to The Rolling Stones’ bad-boy image and poking at the uptight cultural norms of their day.

Let’s start with 1967, when Mick and Keith Richards became the main course in a police raid on Redlands, Keith’s country pad. Cops barged in like they’d just cracked the crime of the century and busted Jagger for having a few amphetamines (gasp!). The whole ordeal was less about justice and more about sending a message to those darn counterculture kids. The media went nuts, and while Mick got slapped with a sentence at first, public outrage and probably a few eye-rolls from sane people got his conviction overturned on appeal.

Fast forward to 1972, and Mick’s still causing a ruckus—this time on The Stones’ Exile on Main St. tour, which was less of a music tour and more of a rolling party fueled by all the hedonism you can imagine. Legal trouble loomed constantly, but somehow, they managed to avoid getting hauled in. Talent? Luck? Probably a mix.

In retrospect, Mick Jagger’s brushes with the law were less about any serious wrongdoing and more about cementing his status as a rock‘n’roll icon. These incidents have evolved into legendary tales, not for the crimes themselves but for what they represented—defiance, rebellion, and a fearless challenge to the status quo. During an era when rock music was viewed as a disruptive force, Jagger stood at the forefront, embodying everything that unnerved the establishment. His legal troubles became part of a larger narrative, a time capsule of cultural upheaval when rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t just music—it was a movement.

Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!

COPYRIGHT © ROLLING STONES DATA
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHT OF ROLLING STONES DATA. ALL CONTENT BY MARCELO SONAGLIONI.
ALL SETLISTS AND TICKET STUBS TAKEN FROM THE COMPLETE WORKS OF THE ROLLING STONES. 
WHEN USING INFORMATION FROM ROLLING STONES DATA (ONLINE OR PRINTED) PLEASE REFER TO ITS SOURCE DETAILING THE WEBSITE NAME. THANK YOU.