Brian Jones

Brian Jones was an original founding member of the "World's Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band"--The Rolling Stones...

Legend has it that Brian gave the band its name, taken from the title of a Muddy Waters song...

When the Stones hit it big on the 1st wave of the British Invasion, Brian was the most popular Stone, and would soon become legendary from his appetite for "sex, drugs & rock'n'roll"...

He was the coolest, hippest trendsetter for the "dedicated follower of fashion", in the "swinging London" scene...as The Stones helped lead a cultural revolution in Britain, as well as, the rest of the modern world...

In 1967, The Beatles delivered their musical masterpiece, "Sgt. Pepper", and Flower Power was in full bloom...making The Stones' brand of bluesy Rock'n'roll seem dated...Psychedelic Pop was "where it was at" and everyone in Music followed "Sgt. Pepper"...including The Stones...

Despite their declining record sales, The Stones were still the "bad boys" to the British Establishment...and soon The Stones became targets of the police, who would bust Brian, Mick & Keith on drug charges...this, along with with other factors in his private life, stressed Brian out a great deal...only increasing his massive drug intake...

It would soon affect his playing in The Stones, who now, led by Mick & Keith, realized where their musical strengths were...back in bluesy RnR...as 1968 saw their style make a strong comeback from the "flower power" of the year before...

Mick & Keith were up to the task of the rebirth of The Stones, but Brian wasn't...

Some say he was driven away by Mick & Keith...some say his drug intake was out of control, leaving him unable to perform with the group...

Some say The Stones rebirth was fueled by Mick, Keith & Brian's dabbling in Black Magic..."Jumping Jack Flash" & "Sympathy For The Devil" brought The Stones back to the top of the Rock'n'Roll world...and certainly Mick was 1st to use the image of "The Devil" to great effect in promoting The Stones as "the bad boys of Rock"...

Some say that Mick & Keith made a pact with the dark forces, making Brian their sacrifice to regain their wealth & fame...

In June 1969, Brian was fired from the band he had co-founded...a few weeks later in early July, he was found floating at the bottom of his swimming pool after a party...a drowning victim at the age of 27...

Some say he was murdered...no longer under the "protection" of The Stones, the dark forces found their way to him...

Days after Brian's death, The Stones played a free concert in London's Hyde Park with Brian's replacement, Mick Taylor, to honor Brian and let The Stones show off their new sound...a prelude to their 1969 American Tour that would be the 2nd coming of The Rolling Stones...

Brian had been ahead of his time in the 60's...even in death...being the 1st of the major 60's rock stars to die prematurely...unfortunately, a year too far ahead...

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin & Jim Morrison would all die as superstars after Brian, and become even more famous in death...while Brian would be all but forgotten...a footnote in Rock history...

But today, the "Cult of Brian" grows...

Even though he's been dead for 40 years, his "look", sound & musicianship are being discovered by a new generation on The Stones cds of their early albums...a sound that Brian was a very big part of...a sound that changed the world and turned it on...

Link to Brian Jones Fanclub

Link to Brian Jones: Like A Rolling Stone

Link to Brian Jones "Rocks Off" Page

Link to The Psychedelic News