Rock’n’roll was forever changed 50 years ago, when an unknown British band called The Rollin’ Stones performed their first ever gig at the Marquee Club in London on July 12, 1962. The band, then comprised of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ian Stewart, Tony Chapman, and Brian Jones, has done more than just tack a “G” to their name; Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood were added onto the line-up in ’63 and ’75, respectively.

Since they started up half a century ago, the legendary act has released eight consecutive number one albums in the US, brought us hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Sympathy for the Devil,” and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. The Rolling Stones have forever left their mark on the music industry as one of the greatest bands to ever play.

The Rolling Stones continue to release live or re-issued albums, such as ‘Exile on Main Street’ in 2010 and ‘Some Girls’ in 2011, while their last studio album with new material, ‘A Bigger Bang’, was released in 2005.  So what have the rock stars of the Stones been up to since then?

Mick Jagger forms supergroup SuperHeavy

Dressed in hot pink from the top of his suit-and-tie combo down to his sneakers, lead singer Mick Jagger teamed up with Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley for an eclectic collaboration project called SuperHeavy. The group’s sound combined rock and roll, reggae, and Indian orchestras to create a uniquely earthy swagger, and was kept secret until 2011. Their first self-titled album received mixed reviews, but the CD’s single “Miracle Worker” was about as bright and upbeat as Jagger’s wardrobe choice.

Charlie Watts survives Cancer, joins Jazz Band

The band’s notoriously calm drummer Charlie Watts received a diagnosis of throat cancer in 2004, and after undergoing treatment that same year, thankfully survived the condition. He has never reported any complications.

Since then, Watts has followed his passion for jazz through involvement with the group “The ABC and D of Boogie Woogie,” named after its members—Axel Zwingenberger on piano, Ben Waters on piano, Charlie Watts on drums, and Dave Green on bass. The band is currently on tour.

Ronnie Wood continues solo career

Wood first began his solo career in ’74, a year before joining the Stones, and continues to release albums on his own. He was just recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time in 2012 as guitarist for the British rock band, the Faces. The band announced plans to reform in 2010 without singer Rod Stewart, playing several concerts throughout Europe.

Keith Richards releases autobiography

Anyone wishing to learn more about Keef’s world of drugs and debauchery as the Stones’ guitarist can now satisfy their curiosity by picking up his autobiography, Life, released in 2010. Life is a page-turning account of Richards’ drug use, relationships from his mother to Mick Jagger to women, to the birthing of the Rolling Stones. It was actually voted Amazon’s Audiobook of the Year in 2010.

“The Rolling Stones: 50” and upcoming world tour

The only officially authorized book to celebrate the band’s anniversary, “The Rolling Stones: 50” allows rare insight into the band’s behind-the-scene life, including photography, narrative, and much more. Members says of the book:

“This is our story of fifty fantastic years. We started out as a blues band playing the clubs and more recently we’ve filled the largest stadiums in the world with the kind of show that none of us could have imagined all those years ago. Curated by us, it features the very best photographs and ephemera from and beyond our archives.”

-Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wood

The Stones’ members have also talked of another world tour, rumored to begin in the near future. 

Image Courtesy of  The Rolling Stones

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The Rolling Stones recently announced that they will not make a world tour in 2012, the year that marks the 50th anniversary of the band’s career. The possibility of an intensive tour has been postponed to 2013. Talking about the 2012 world tour, guitarist Keith Richards told Rolling Stone magazine ‘Basically, we’re just not ready.’ Referring to a 2013 world tour, instead, he said ‘I have a feeling that’s more realistic.’

It seems, though, that the band would still be interested in live performances this year. The Stones could play multinight runs at arena locations according to a Rolling Stone’s source, who said “For example, they’d do 10 nights at MSG, 10 nights at Staples, 10 nights at London’s O2 arena.”

An official announcement for a 2012 world tour had never been made by the band, but during the past years, rumors and statements of the band members hinted the tour was going to happen. The biggest concern was the complicated relationship between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. The latter did not appreciate a number of unpleasant comments about him made by Richards in his autobiography ‘Life’.

In December the band members reunited for a three-days-long jamming session in London. The meeting was intended to solve the unpleasant situation between the two eccentric members, Richards and Jagger.

Jagger told Rolling Stone about the London meeting “We played a lot of blues and outtakes of Some Girls and things like that, it went very well.” The positive atmosphere created by the encounter was confirmed by Richards, who added “It was a very back-to-basics sort of session. There was a lot of jamming. On the third day, Mick turned up, which was a real joy. Because I set it up really as a magnet, you know.”

Furthermore Richards recently stated in an interview: ‘I know that some parts of it ['Life'] and some of the publicity really offended Mick and I regret that.’

As Jagger and Richards reconciled, their relationship is no longer an obstacle for the Stones’ tour. The real reason behind the delay of the world tour is ultimately Keith Richards’ health, according to a source of Rolling Stone. Concerns were raised about the guitarist’s general health condition, leading to the band’s decision to avoid the stressful commitment of a world tour.

After a head trauma in 2006, the playing style of the guitarist was toned down. He performed with the Stones for the last time in 2008, already then showing a notable decrease in the quality of his performance. He confirmed fans’ doubts when he appeared live this year. Richards performed two live shows in February, one in New York, and one in Boston with Elvis Costello; he was unable to match the usual quality he brought on stage with the Stones years ago.

Rolling Stones, though, will not leave fans empty handed on the year of their 50th anniversary. The band returns to the studio for the recording of new material next month; “We’ll just get the boys back together again then and maybe cut a side,” said Richards to Rolling Stone. “I’ve got plenty in the locker here, but it’s not on tape.”

Moreover, next fall will see the release of a documentary exploring the entire 50-year career of the Rolling Stones, including previously unreleased footage and music.

Image Courtesey of Marius Wigen/Shutterstock.com

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