Rolling Stones Got Arrested in Rhode Island After Airport Fight

Happy Birthday to one of the biggest rock stars who ever lived, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger.

I had the privilege of seeing the Rolling Stones more than 20 years ago at the Garden in Boston, (then known as Fleet Center). I was amazed back then at how a man in his 60s could run and jump around the stage without pulling his back.

Incredibly, Jagger turns 81 on July 26, 2024. More incredible is that he's still touring. Still running, jumping, and singing for hours on end, still entertaining soldout stadiums worldwide.

Rolling Stones Flight Diverted to Rhode Island

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Did you know that part of the Rolling Stones history was a run-in with the law in, of all places, Warwick, Rhode Island? The incident happened 52 years ago this month.

The Rolling Stones, on their way to a concert in Boston, had their flight redirected to nearby T.F. Green Airport in Warwick because of some wild fog farther north.

Fog wasn't the only thing that turned wild.

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It wasn't long until the press found out that the Stones had landed in Rhode Island. Members of the media descended on the airport in the hope of stealing a picture of the world-famous band. Legend has it that Keith Richards, already annoyed by the travel delay, jumped a newspaper photographer.

The Warwick Police Department showed up and tried to calm things down by getting the band to agree to a few photos. Richards wasn't having it and lunged towards the photographer again, this time right in front of police.

Richards was arrested immediately.

Jagger jumped in and was arrested, as well.

Rolling Stones Reference Arrest in Boston

The mayor of Boston, nervous that Stones fans would lose their minds if they canceled the show, pleaded with Warwick Police to process the rock stars and send them on their way in a rented limo to the Garden.

The Stones finally took the stage in the wee hours of the morning, Jagger famously saying to the Boston crowd, "This place is better than Warwick."

It's hilarious that Jagger even knew he was in Warwick. Most travelers mistakenly think they are in Providence when they land at T.F. Green.

The Warwick patches on the police department's shirts must have been memorable.