Famous Rockstars And Their Relationships With Stunning Age Gaps
via @steventyler / YouTube
The energy of rock music has always pulsed with something raw and primal. Long before it became a genre, “rock and roll” was slang for intimacy, and that electric undercurrent never left. As the music evolved, so did the persona that embodied it—the rock star. Bold, sensual, and larger than life, these figures weren’t just about the music. Their presence was a performance, and their allure extended far beyond the stage or studio.
But what fuels the legend of a rock star more than their rebellion is their refusal to age. Rock thrives on the illusion of eternal youth, and for many artists, that illusion carries over into their personal lives. While the years march on, the myth demands that they remain untouchable—ageless, vibrant, and free. One way some have tried to hold on to that image is by forming relationships with much younger partners, sparking conversations that range from admiration to controversy.
Throughout rock history, the gap between age and desire has often been wide—and public. Whether romanticized or scrutinized, these relationships have left a visible mark not only on the tabloids but also on the culture that surrounds rock itself. What follows is a closer look at the most famous cases—relationships defined as much by their fame as by the stark difference in birth years.
1. Bill Wyman and Mandy Smith
In the 1980s, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman began a controversial relationship with Mandy Smith when she was just 13 years old. After meeting her at a music industry event, Wyman, then 47, claimed he had fallen in love. He even visited her home to express his feelings to her family, starting a relationship that was kept under wraps for years.
Smith recalled having to lie about her identity in public, pretending she was a student while she secretly dated one of rock’s biggest names. The truth didn’t come out until she was 16, at which point public scrutiny intensified. Though the age difference was alarming, legal consequences never followed, largely because Smith’s mother refused to press charges.
The couple eventually married in 1989 shortly after Smith turned 18. Despite the 34-year age gap, the marriage proceeded publicly and without apology. It lasted only two years before ending in divorce, but the relationship remains one of the most controversial and uncomfortable in rock history.
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2. Don McLean and Paris Dylan
Best known for his epic anthem “American Pie,” Don McLean built his career on nostalgic reflections of past eras. But his personal life seems focused on the present—or at least youthful energy. In 2016, he began a romantic relationship with Paris Dylan, a model and influencer nearly five decades his junior.
Their connection became public in 2018, with Dylan gushing about her admiration for McLean’s music. Long before they began dating, she had described herself as a fan, which some might interpret as starstruck infatuation. Regardless, their 48-year age gap has raised more than a few eyebrows, especially given Dylan’s previous notoriety from a high-profile catfishing scandal.
McLean and Dylan have stayed together despite the scrutiny. Whether seen as a genuine May-December romance or an uncomfortable mismatch, their relationship is a striking example of how age gaps in the music world can still generate headlines—and discomfort.
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3. Neil Diamond and Katie McNeil
Neil Diamond has long been a romantic figure in music, known for heartfelt ballads and decades of steady success. Over his lifetime, he’s been in a few serious relationships, but his latest with Katie McNeil stands out—not just because of her role in his career, but also the 29-year age difference between them.
The two met while working on a documentary about Diamond’s life. McNeil was a video producer working under his manager, Irving Azoff, and despite the professional nature of their meeting, a romantic connection soon formed. McNeil later became his full-time manager and eventually his wife in 2012.
Their relationship appears to be a supportive one, with McNeil helping guide Diamond’s career as he battles Parkinson’s disease. Though the age difference is substantial, it hasn’t seemed to dampen their bond, even as it mirrors a broader trend of older rockstars forming lasting ties with younger women.
4. Paul Simon and Edie Brickell
When Edie Brickell made her debut on Saturday Night Live in 1988, it wasn’t just her music that caught attention—it was also the beginning of a lifelong partnership. Backstage that night, she met Paul Simon, already a living legend in his own right, and sparks flew.
Despite a 25-year age gap, their chemistry was immediate. They began dating and married in 1992, with Brickell at 26 and Simon at 51. For Brickell, it was her first marriage; for Simon, it was his third. Still, their relationship has remained relatively stable and out of scandal’s reach.
Their age difference may have raised questions early on, but over time the couple has settled into a quiet kind of permanence. Compared to others on this list, their story is less tabloid fodder and more a tale of timing and personal connection—though still wrapped in the dynamics of generational distance.
5. Ace Frehley and Lara Cove
KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has lived a life full of noise—both musically and personally. Known for his wild stage persona and rock-star excess, his love life has also drawn attention. His most recent public relationship with Lara Cove, a high school teacher and lifelong KISS fan, highlights a notable 19-year age difference.
The pair met at a KISS convention in 2018, where Cove had created hand-painted mugs of the band members. She gifted one to Frehley, and they quickly formed a bond that went beyond fan and idol. Cove even lent her voice to Frehley’s recordings, becoming part of his creative world as well as his personal life.
Although their relationship eventually ended, the union reflected a pattern seen often in rock: stars forming close connections with younger fans. In Frehley’s case, the age gap wasn’t as drastic as others on this list, but it still stirred conversation about power, admiration, and age in rock love stories.
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6. Steven Tyler and Aimee Ann Preston
Steven Tyler’s signature shrieks and flamboyant fashion may be timeless, but the same can’t be said for his romantic choices. In 2016, the Aerosmith frontman went public with Aimee Ann Preston, his former personal assistant. Born in 1988, Preston is nearly 40 years younger than Tyler.
This wasn’t the first time Tyler had entered into a relationship with a much younger woman. Prior to Preston, he had been engaged to Erin Brady, who was also significantly his junior. In both cases, Tyler appeared to pursue partners who could, quite literally, be closer in age to his children than himself.
Tyler and Preston’s relationship brought attention to the often blurred lines between professional and personal in the entertainment world. While fans may shrug off the age difference as part of the rock lifestyle, others find it an uncomfortable reminder of how age and status can intersect in ways that aren’t always easy to applaud.
7. Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster
Rod Stewart has built a career on raspy, swaggering songs about love, lust, and late nights. From “Tonight’s the Night” to “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” his music has often flirted with themes of youth and desire. His personal relationships have followed a similar arc—especially after his divorce from first wife Alana Collins, who was his age. From that point on, each of his partners has been younger, including Kelly Emberg (14 years his junior) and Rachel Hunter (24 years younger).
Stewart’s current and third wife, Penny Lancaster, continues that pattern. They met shortly after his breakup with Hunter, with Stewart quipping that Penny “mended [his] heart in more ways than one.” The age gap? A full 26 years. But that didn’t stop them from marrying in 2007 and starting a family together.
Despite the age difference, their marriage has endured far longer than some of Stewart’s earlier relationships. Lancaster, a model and photographer, often appears alongside Stewart in interviews and public appearances. While the generational divide may seem stark, they’ve managed to make the relationship work in a way that bucks the expectations tied to these kinds of mismatched timelines.
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8. Mick Jagger and Melanie Hamrick
Few rock stars embody the archetype more completely than Mick Jagger. As the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, his name is almost synonymous with rock and roll excess, charisma, and a trail of romantic partners. Jagger’s love life has long been scrutinized, with a string of famous models and actresses in his past—most of them significantly younger.
In recent years, Jagger seems to have quieted his famously chaotic personal life, settling into a long-term relationship with ballerina Melanie Hamrick. The two welcomed a son in 2016, when Jagger was 73 and Hamrick was 29. As of 2025, they’re still together, now raising their son while balancing their careers—Jagger still touring, Hamrick still dancing.
Their 44-year age difference is one of the widest on this list, raising eyebrows even in a music industry where large gaps are common. Still, the pair seems committed, and Jagger has embraced fatherhood once more in his 80s, navigating the strange duality of being both a great-grandfather and the parent of a preschooler.
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9. Ronnie Wood and Sally Humphreys
Ronnie Wood, guitarist for the Rolling Stones, has had his share of high-profile relationships and dramatic breakups over the decades. His second marriage ended amid scandal, when he left his wife Jo for an 18-year-old cocktail waitress, drawing heavy criticism for the lopsided relationship. But Wood’s romantic history didn’t stop there.
In 2012, at 65 years old, he married Sally Humphreys, a theater producer 31 years younger than him. At the time, she was 34 and instantly became not just a wife but a step-grandmother to Wood’s grandchildren—some of whom were older than she was. Still, Wood gushed about their bond, insisting the age difference didn’t matter.
Humphreys has generally kept a lower profile, but she has remained a steady presence in Wood’s later life. Their relationship, though unconventional, seems built on stability—perhaps surprising given Wood’s tumultuous past. Even in his twilight years, the rock guitarist has kept up with his younger wife’s energy, offering another example of how age gaps often blur within the rock and roll lifestyle.
10. Ric Ocasek and Paulina Porizkova
The late Ric Ocasek, frontman for The Cars, didn’t just make new wave classics—he also lived a rockstar love story with a fairytale beginning and a bittersweet ending. While filming the music video for “Drive” in 1984, Ocasek met supermodel Paulina Porizkova. Sparks flew, and the two became a couple almost immediately, despite Ocasek still being married at the time.
They married in 1989 and spent nearly 30 years together, raising two children. The age gap between them was 21 years, but they appeared to be a close and supportive couple. Even after their separation in 2018, they continued to live together, and Porizkova cared for Ocasek up until his death in 2019.
Their story took a sharp turn after Ocasek’s passing, when it was revealed that he had excluded Porizkova from his will, citing abandonment during their divorce. The revelation shocked fans, but Porizkova responded with grace, continuing to honor their life together publicly. Their relationship, complex and layered, stands as a reminder that even long partnerships can carry complicated emotions—especially when age and power dynamics are involved.
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11. Pete Townshend and Rachel Fuller
Pete Townshend, guitarist and songwriter for The Who, met Rachel Fuller in a moment that he later described as fueled by immediate attraction. She was 23, a composer and orchestrator, and Townshend—28 years older—was still in the process of divorcing his first wife. Though their initial encounter didn’t lead to a relationship, they reconnected a year later, and Fuller became a major creative and personal force in Townshend’s life.
She worked on orchestral arrangements for his solo work and later for The Who’s tours, eventually marrying Townshend in 2016. Their wedding was low-key, almost secretive, with only two staff members serving as witnesses. Townshend explained that the couple simply wanted to keep things private, a contrast to the public spectacle many rock weddings become.
Their marriage highlights an interesting blend of personal and professional lives, where the younger partner wasn’t just a romantic interest but a collaborator. Though separated by nearly three decades in age, the pairing appears based on mutual respect and shared creative passion—an exception to the more one-sided dynamics that sometimes accompany relationships with large age differences.
12. Prince and Mayte Garcia
Prince’s relationships were often as theatrical and mysterious as his music, and his connection with Mayte Garcia was no exception. They met when Garcia was a teenager, hired as a backup dancer shortly after her 17th birthday. Prince quickly became both a mentor and romantic partner, grooming her for stardom and even producing her own music. Their closeness was immortalized in his 1992 Love Symbol album.
When Garcia turned 22, the couple married on Valentine’s Day in 1996. Prince was 37 at the time, and their union seemed to blend music, art, and affection in a whirlwind of creativity. But behind the glamor was a significant power imbalance, with Prince largely shaping Garcia’s career and public persona.
Their marriage ended in divorce in 2000, and Garcia later revealed details about their relationship that painted it as both magical and overwhelming. Prince’s early influence and control over her life highlight a recurring pattern in the music industry—where youth, beauty, and aspiration meet fame, fortune, and control. Their story serves as both a romantic tale and a cautionary one.
