Statues of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were unveiled Wednesday in their hometown of Dartford, commissioned by the local council to artist Amy Goodman, a fan of the band.
The statues show Mick and Keith performing live by the Rolling Stones. Jagger appears dressed in his trademark tight pants and T-shirt, jumping with a microphone in his hand. Richards, meanwhile, has his head bowed over his Telecaster model "Micawber" guitar, which Eric Clapton gave him on a birthday.
The plastic artist Amy Goodman next to her statues baptized "The Glimmer Twins", with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Photo: AP
Schoolmates
Although Jagger and Richards attended Wentworth Primary School in Dartford, the friendship was cut short when Jagger's family moved to a nearby town.
They were only reunited as teenagers, on the morning of October 17, 1961, on a platform of the train station, when Mick was on his way to the Faculty of Economics in London and Keith to the University of Art in Sidcup, guitar in hand.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards live in 2022 in France. Photo: AFP
The guitarist was surprised to see the blues records that the other was carrying in his hand and they began to talk. There they recognized each other and began to talk,
The following year, the two formed the Rolling Stones with Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor and Tony Chapman. Soon there were changes and Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts entered, forming the classic formation of the '60s
The statues
The bronze statues were named "The Glimmer Twins," an old nickname for the two musicians, and were created by Amy Goodman, a fan of the band who performed other works at Dartford.
Amy Goodman with Angela and Ava Richards next to statues of Jagger and Richards. Photo: EFE
The sculptor went to the inauguration with her daughters and described the work as an honor and a privilege: "They are two incredible icons of music." He also detailed that his goal was to capture his energy and chemistry from the rockers.
He decided to represent Jagger and Richards as they looked live in the '80s. During the work – which took her about 10 months – the artist listened non-stop to the songs of the Stones. "I was a bundle of nerves. There was a lot of pressure because they are icons," he said of the creation process.
Also at the launch were Richards' daughter, Angela, and granddaughter Ava.
"The Glimmer Twins", a statue of Rolling Stones Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards created by sculptor Amy Goodman, 2nd left, is unveiled by Keith Richard's granddaughter Ava, 2nd right, at One Bell Corner in Dartford, England, Wednesday Aug. 9, 2023. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
Jeremy Kite, from Dartford City Council, said: "In terms of culture and music, nobody is much more influential than the Rolling Stones. Their music changed the face of popular music and these guys from Dartford are now two of the most recognizable and beloved people in the world."
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