The Rolling Stones' 50th Anniversary Tour Blasts Off in London

Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones perform at 02 Arena on November 25, 2012 in London, England. (Dave J Hogan/Getty)

Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor, Jeff Beck and Mary J. Blige join band for kickoff

By Mark Sutherland, Rolling Stone
November 25, 2012 9:45 PM ET

The Rolling Stones began their 50th anniversary tour with the biggest possible bang on Sunday night, as a host of special guests joined them for a hit-packed show in London's O2 Arena. Former Stones comrades Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor returned to the ranks, while Mary J. Blige and Jeff Beck were also on hand to help with the celebrations.

Wyman – who left the Stones in 1992 – was greeted with warm applause and a handshake from Keith Richards as he returned to play bass on "It's Only Rock and Roll" and "Honky Tonk Women." But the biggest cheers came for Taylor, who hasn't been a Stone since 1974 – he played trademark blues guitar solos on an extended version of "Midnight Rambler" and looked like he was enjoying every second of the reunion.

Blige brought a gospel feel to "Gimme Shelter," trading vocal acrobatics with Mick Jagger, and Beck did a flashy guitar turn on 1969's "I'm Going Down." But, despite the headline-grabbing special guests, the evening remained very much about the Stones' core members and their remarkable career, with the set spanning from their second-ever single, 1963's "I Wanna Be Your Man" to their latest, 2012's "Doom and Gloom."

(More here.)