From Jagger to Jesus: Ex-Stones 'lugger' ordained

Thirty years ago, Jonathan Boast was living the rock'n'roll lifestyle working on tour with the Rolling Stones, but fast forward and he has accepted a call from God.

After finishing his degree in the 1990s, Boast's first job was a "lugger" setting up stages for the band during a tour of Germany.

He later pursued his passion for art and photography as a career, but about 15 years ago he started to feel a call toward the church.

As the feeling persisted, he followed it and, on Saturday, Boast, 52, was ordained as a deacon in Suffolk, which he described as a "blessing".

"I was living in Germany after my degree, exhibiting and had a studio," Boast, who is from Bury St Edmunds, told BBC Radio Suffolk's Sarah Lilley of his early 20s.

"One of my friends said, 'There's some work helping out, carrying stuff, you're quite big — you can carry stuff'," he said.

"I said 'yes, of course that sounds like fun', and you went around Germany as they were doing different gigs.

"Then when they went into a different country you picked up another tour and did that."

The Stones formed in London in 1962 and are still going strong, albeit with only two original members in the band.

Their UK number ones have included (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Paint It, Black and Jumping Jack Flash and they have been back in the singles charts in 2026 with In The Stars.

As well as working for the Stones, on their 1998 Bridges To Babylon tour, Boast said he had also worked with other bands including Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"I was by no means a roadie, I was a lugger... it was great, it was really tiring work," Boast continued.

"I do remember falling asleep during a Stones' concert underneath the sound desk so that shows how tiring it was and what hours we worked."

Boast's career moved into photography and art, and Westminster Abbey commissioned him to create a stained glass and steel monolith to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the interment of the Unknown Warrior in 2010.

He said his call to the Church of England was a "slow burn".

"For me it was a growing niggle that became a persistent poke and then a solid shove, and eventually I couldn't argue with Him anymore," he said.

"I accepted that this is what He had written for me."

Boast was one of several people to be ordained at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, in Bury St Edmunds, during the heatwave.

"I think I melted and maybe in some sense bits of you melted away and bits of you were reformed as well," he said.

"It was a real blessing. A blessing to be called and a blessing having gone through the quite long process to reach ordination."

The role of deacon acts as a bridge between the church and community, and a year later they are usually ordained as priests.

Boast said he hoped to use his creativity in his role as deacon while encouraging more people to come to the church.

The father-of-three will be working for the Lark Valley and North Bury team.

More than 20 people were ordained as priests or deacons at the weekend.

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