The hometown of Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards will be receiving statue tributes to rock legends as a way to “celebrate their roots”.
Dartford Borough Council has commissioned bronze statues of two members of The Rolling Stones who were born and raised in Dartford before famously reuniting at the local railway station.
Both Mick and Keith attended Wentworth Primary School together.
Mick, who grew up on Denver Road, went on to study at Dartford Grammar School – now home to the Mick Jagger Centre which opened in 2000.
“Rebellious” Keith attended Dartford Technical High School and lived above a parade of shops on Chastilian Road.
The pair reunited in 1961 when they met at Dartford Station and fell into a conversation about music while waiting for a train on platform 2.
The statues by renowned sculptor Amy Goodman will be sited at the town’s One Bell Corner and has been funded from public art subscriptions collected from local developers.
Leader of the Council Jeremy Kite said: “Many Dartfordians have gone on to change our world but in terms of culture and music you don’t get much more influential than The Rolling Stones.
“Their music has changed the face of popular music and these lads from Dartford are now two of the most recognisable and loved people in the world.”
“We’re one of those towns that recognises the power of the arts within a community and for some years we have been insisting that developers contribute not just to things like schools and healthcare but also to public art.
“A nearby housing scheme by Bellway London gave us the opportunity to realise a long-held desire to mark these two local icons and the developer agreed to fund the statues as part of its obligations to fund art in the town.
“In all honesty, I always think public art is an investment not a cost but I can’t deny we’re a small town and we’re careful with our taxpayers money.
“Creating such a good project from the subscription of a developer like Bellway London has turned out very well.”
“We want to celebrate that their roots are firmly planted right here in our town and also thank them for the impression they have made on lives.
“It always makes us smile to see Keith Richards wearing his “Straight Outa Dartford“ T Shirt on stage and the recognition of the importance of hometown roots is mutual.
“We want them to know that we appreciate them and also we want to cheer up local people and visitors with the message that even small towns can nurture people who change the world.”
Sculptor and portrait artist Amy Goodman has recently created other public works including a bronze bust of Florence Nightingale, as well as the Gurkha Memorial in Aldershot.
Other key public works include the jump ready 'Airborne Soldier', the emotive WW1 ‘Romsey War Horse & Trooper’, and the three ‘Arborfield Horses’ (also unveiled last year), among others.
This year she had the absolute honour of being commissioned to sculpt the late Sir Stirling Moss for the British Racing Drivers Club.
His bronze will be unveiled at Silverstone over the weekend of the British Grand Prix in July.
Sculpture Amy Goodman said: “I couldn't believe the news when I heard it. I was really overwhelmed and overjoyed!
“I have felt fortunate and grateful to have been busy with fascinating and varied public sculptural projects in recent years.
“This will be the icing on the cake.
“They are such icons, and I have always been a huge fan of their music.
“I intend to create two dynamic figures which capture the incredible energy and chemistry that the two of them have when performing together on stage, that the public can walk through and around, and interact with.
“It will be such an exciting challenge.”
Emma Hamlett, Sales Director at Bellway London who are funding the artwork through the Council’s public art subscription, said: “We’re obviously delivering much-needed new homes but we also recognise the need to contribute to the wider regeneration of the communities in which we work.
“The Rolling Stones are one of the most influential bands of all time so it is extremely fitting that the public artwork being provided as part of our development should celebrate the fact that two of the group’s founding members grew up here in Dartford.”
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