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LOS ANGELES - The 93-year-old father of Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, a former fitness instructor partly responsible for his son's athletic prowess on stage, has died of pneumonia in England, a spokesman said.
Basil "Joe" Jagger, a physical education teacher who helped popularize basketball in Britain, died at a hospital in Kingston, Surrey, on Saturday, about a week after he was injured during a fall at his home.
His son, currently on tour with the Stones in North America, flew to England late last week, but returned in time for a show in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Jagger, 63, was unusually chatty on stage, but -- as is his custom -- he did not mention any personal matters.
The elder Jagger gave his son his first taste of showbiz when he was a youngster, by casting him in a sports TV show. Footage survives of a young Mike -- as he was known then -- engaged in various healthy pursuits.
Joe Jagger maintained his keen interest in sports. He appears in the 2001 documentary Being Mick, cheering on one of his granddaughters at a school sports event.
His Australian-born wife of 59 years, Eva, died of heart failure in 2000. They also had another son, Chris, who is four years younger than Mick.
Funeral details were not available, but Jagger on Saturday mentioned the band's plan to fly to Boise, Idaho, for its next show, on Tuesday.
- REUTERS
