Derek Scully

On October 17, 1961, the platform at the Dartford train station in Kent was the scene of one of the most momentous chance encounters in Rock HistoryZ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, two former elementary school classmates who hadn’t seen each other in years, ran into each other by chance while waiting for their respective trains to take them to college. The immediate spark was ignited by the records Jagger was carrying under his arm. They were American blues imports from labels like Chess Records, featuring recordings by Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. Upon discovering they shared an obsessive passion for rhythm and blues, they struck up an enthusiastic conversation that continued throughout the train ride and led to get-togethers where they listened to records and played music together. That chance encounter at the station not only forged one of rock’s most prolific and celebrated creative partnerships but also planted the definitive seed for the creation of The Rolling Stones. What began as a conversation between two students united by a love of the blues would ultimately transform Rock History forever.