Mick Jagger got a lot of satisfaction out of making a surprise appearance at the Oscars on Sunday night. But if you start him up, he’ll say that he actually wasn’t the first legendary rocker asked to present Best Original Song during the 97th Academy Awards ceremony.
“I’m greatly honored to be invited to give this award for the Best Original Song tonight, and much as I love doing it, I wasn’t the first choice to give this award out,” the Rolling Stones frontman said. “The producers really wanted Bob Dylan to do this. Bob didn’t want to do it because he said the best songs this year were obviously in the movie, A Complete Unknown.”
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Jagger laughed as he continued, “Bob said, ‘You should find somebody younger.’ I said, ‘Okay, I’m younger! I’m younger than Bob, I’ll do it.’ So here I am.”
A source close to the situation confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that it was a joke.
Jagger went on to present the award for Best Original Song to “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez, with music by Clément Ducol and Camille, and lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard. That song beat out fellow nominees “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight, “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing, “Mi Camino” also from Emilia Pérez, and “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late.
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Jagger is best known for being the lead singer and one of the founding members of the Rolling Stones, for which he co-wrote most of the band’s songs with guitarist Keith Richards. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
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Meanwhile, Dylan’s life and work is currently being celebrated in the biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as the musician. It is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (for James Mangold), Best Actor (for Chalamet), among other categories — however, it was snubbed for Best Original Song.
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