60-Years Ago The Rolling Stones Played Their First Show

On July 12, 1962, The Rolling Stones played their first show together as “The Rollin’ Stones.”

Their story begins with a guy named Alexis Korner, who loved the blues. His band, Blues Incorporated, played a consistent gig at the Marquee Club in London in the ’60s. Korner and Blues Incorporated actually gained a pretty substantial following as people would travel across England to see his band.

This is where our favorite front man comes in. Korner got a gig to play a live BBC broadcast, leaving the venue with an open spot. Mick Jagger, who sometimes played with Korner’s group, was given the chance to fill that spot. Korner offered Jagger the chance to play after seeing Keith Richards, Brian Jones, and Jagger jamming with pianist Ian Stewart. The trio agreed to perform but ran into some immediate problems.

They didn’t have a name. However, with some thinking, they came up with The Rollin’ Stones after the Muddy Water’s tune, “Rollin’ Stone.” (Read the full story behind the band name HERE). The other problem was that they didn’t have a solid lineup. A preview article for the gig advertised the lineup as Jaggers, along with Richards and Jones, Pretty Things guitarist Dick Taylor, and Kinks drummer Mick Avory. However, there was even some dispute around the drumming at the first gig. Avory said it was actually his friend Tony Chapman who played, but other members said they couldn’t even remember if there was a drummer playing at all.

Obviously, the first performance was a success since the Marquee Club became The Stones’ residency location for the first two years of their time as a band. Taylor was eventually replaced with Bill Wyman and ex-Blues Incorporated drummer Charlie Watts joined the band. And, the rest as we know it is history.

Check out the setlist of The Rollin’ Stones on that first night at the Marquee Club.

“Kansas City” by Wilbert Harrison
“Honey What’s Wrong” by Billy Fury
“Confessin’ the Blues” by Chuck Berry
“Bright Lights, Big City” by Jimmy Reed
“Dust My Blues” by Elmore James
“Down the Road Apiece” by Chuck Berry
“I Want to Love You” by Charles Smith
“I’m a Hoochie Coochie Man” by Muddy Waters
“Ride ‘Em On Down” by Robert Johnson
“Back in the USA” by Chuck Berry
“I Feel a Kind of Lonesome” by Jimmy Reed
“Blues Before Sunrise” by Elmore James
“Big Boss Man” by Jimmy Reed
“Don’t Stay Out All Night” by Billy Boy Arnold
“Tell Me That You Love Me” by Fats Domino
“Happy Home” by Elmore James

Photo by Michael Ward/Getty Images