Mick Jagger is one of the most famous rock stars on the planet. So it's probably not easy for Chris Jagger, his brother, who's also a musician in his own right. While we hear a lot about Mick and his growing family, we never really hear about Chris. Being a sibling of a rock star is probably hard when you're both competing in the same industry. Beyoncé's sister Solange and Billie Eilish's brother Finneas can relate. Here's everything we know about Mick and Chris Jagger's relationship.
Chris Says He'll Always Be Compared To Mick, But He Does His Own Thing
In 2011, Chris penned a letter published in the Independent, speaking about what it's like being Mick Jagger's brother. He said that he understands what comes with being a famous rock star's brother and trying to do your own thing, but he doesn't really mind it all.
"I sing and play the guitar, which is a similar kind of thing to Mick, but even if I played the oboe or ran a garage, people would still point me out. You have to acknowledge what someone has done, but at the same time, you are different in what you have done in life," he said.
"When I was 16 to 18 years old, it was obviously quite a big thing but once I reached 40, I didn't care anymore. The one thing in my favor is that I will always be younger than him," he continued. "If you really want to sing, you do it for yourself. If you carry on doing it, you get better at it. I feel I am still evolving in my career. Having someone like Mick as a brother gives you a standard to live up to. But you also know what's going to happen if you put a record out - they are going to compare it to what Mick has done."
Chris likes the career he has because he has freedom, whereas Mick doesn't. He has to stick to The Rolling Stones formula. He also enjoys that he got to be around his parents more than Mick was able to because he was busy.
He was going to go to school for theatre studies but went to India to learn to sing. While away, The Stones' guitarist Brian Jones died, so he missed the band's Hyde Park tribute concert. He was glad he was away, though, because he wanted to do something for himself.
"When I was younger, what I really didn't want to be was the younger brother of the famous one who is "screwed up" and gets arrested by the police," he said. "You only have to get drunk in a pub or be involved in a fracas to have the newspapers making a fuss. I feel I should have some brownie points for not screwing up."
Thankfully, fans never bring up Mick when they come up to him. Only journalists bring up comparisons. The only time he's had problems with fans was during the punk era because punks hated The Stones. All in all, Chris is happy he isn't Mick for many reasons. You can't be an ordinary person when you're Mick Jagger.
"My role as a brother is a bit like being a member of European royalty who has to turn up to salute such-and-such a regiment or dutifully stand-in for someone - the supporting role has to be the supporting role; it cannot usurp," Chris concluded.
Chris Thinks Mick Should Throw In The Towel And Retire
Following Mick's health scare in 2019, following emergency heart surgery, Chris talked to the Sunday People about why he thinks his brother should retire. Doctors spotted Mick's condition during a routine check-up. The same condition killed The Clash's Joe Strummer in 2002.
"Mick is doing OK," Chris said. "I spoke to him – he’s good. It just showed up on a scan so it could happen to anybody, you know. It happened to Joe. He came back from walking the dogs and his wife found him collapsed on the sofa. He had this valve problem. His father died from it. It was hereditary. With Mick it came on a check-up."
"That is why when you get to a certain age they want to check for this, check for that. You get to 70, you got to be careful, you know. I’ve had a few health issues. At least he has not got to wait in line for the NHS," he continued. "Maybe he will slow down. Touring is a pressure."
Meanwhile, Chris thinks Mick would also benefit from another procedure, a vasectomy. When his brother welcomed his eighth child in 2017, Chris said he thought it'd be Mick's last-child, but just to be sure, he said Mick should get the surgery. But he also said that Mick is a great dad as well.
So it seems that no matter what his brother does with his career and personal life, Chris will always support Mick. It's great that Chris has done his own thing and doesn't dwell on the fact that Mick is more famous. Otherwise, there might be a terrible sibling feud, and showbiz doesn't need any more of those.