Additional Coverage:
- Mick Jagger’s lips turned blue as he was on the verge of death from allegedly sharing heroin (themirror.com)
Mick Jagger’s life hung in the balance more than once, reveals a new biography chronicling the tumultuous history of The Rolling Stones. Bob Spitz’s latest book, The Rolling Stones: The Biography, recounts two harrowing episodes where the iconic frontman narrowly escaped death.
One of the most chilling moments occurred in 1976 at the New York City apartment of record producer Marshall Chess, located on East 69th Street. According to Chess’s account in the book, Jagger arrived late one night seeking drugs after another party. Though Chess was attempting to quit drug use at the time, he accompanied Jagger to find heroin, visiting a “Buddhist heroin dealer” known for supplying New York addicts around the clock.
Back at Chess’s apartment, the two shared a small amount of heroin. Minutes later, Jagger collapsed, unconscious and with his lips turning blue.
Chess frantically tried to revive him, even resorting to slapping him, but nothing worked. In a moment of panic, Chess feared the worst: “Mick Jagger’s gonna die in my f–king apartment,” he recalled.
Calling emergency services was the immediate priority. Chess also contacted Ahmet Ertegun, then president of Atlantic Records, who arrived quickly with actress Faye Dunaway.
Dunaway helped arrange discreet care at Lenox Hill Hospital to keep the incident out of the public eye. Meanwhile, Chess administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until paramedics arrived and put Jagger on oxygen, at which point the singer began breathing again.
The biography also highlights a second near-fatal event in 1984 amid tensions within the band. During a band meeting in Amsterdam, an argument erupted after a night of drinking.
Jagger called out for drummer Charlie Watts, who responded by confronting Jagger aggressively-grabbing him by the collar and striking him. Guitarist Keith Richards witnessed Jagger fall backward onto a table laden with smoked salmon, nearly tumbling out an open window toward a canal below.
Richards managed to grab Jagger’s leg in time, preventing a disastrous fall.
These dramatic incidents offer a glimpse into the high-stakes drama behind The Rolling Stones’ legendary career, alongside struggles with addiction and personal conflicts within the band. Bob Spitz’s biography paints a vivid portrait of rock ’n’ roll excess and survival at the very edge.