In 1978, Bill German turned 16 years old, and like many kids his age was a major Rolling Stones fan.

He didn’t want to be a rock star, or simply go to their concerts. German wanted to chronicle their careers, and make a living doing so.

How does an innocent, straight-A student from an orthodox Jewish school in Brooklyn, New York, end up chasing the world’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll band around the world? It turns out his adventure had as many ups and downs as the Stones themselves.

In this piece from Backstory, Larry Potash tells us how Bill German’s excellent adventure played out.