By Helene Labriet-Gross Wed, June 24, 2009, 12:01 am PDT

Brian Jones playing a Vox Mando guitar "Death by misadventure." That was the official finding regarding the death of Brian Jones nearly forty years ago. On July 2, 1969, Jones, the co-founder of the Rolling Stones, was found dead in the pool of his Essex farm (which had previously been owned by none other than "Winnie-the-Pooh" creator A.A. Milne). Did Jones indeed die in an accident, intoxicated by drugs and alcohol? Or was he murdered? Any number of hypotheses have been put forward, and yet the circumstances surrounding the death of the "blond angel" of the Rolling Stones remain mysterious. A talented musician, Jones lived live to its fullest. Born into a middle-class family in 1942, he refused to conform, fathered at least five children with multiple girlfriends, abused drugs and alcohol, drove a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud that he had bought from Beatle George Harrison, and was eventually fired from the very band he had helped create. Just weeks before his death, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, tired of Jones's no-shows at rehearsals and generally erratic behavior, decided to replace him with guitarist Mick Taylor. In 1962, Richards and Jagger had been blown away by Jones's talent, and the three decided to create a band: The Rolling Stones. Jones introduced new sounds to rock and roll: playing the sitar on "Paint It Black," the dulcimer on "Lady Jane," the marimba on "Under My Thumb," and both saxophone and harpsichord on "Dandelion." His musical talent was soon surpassed by Jagger and Richards, though, as the duo began writing most of the songs -- and didn't restrain from sharing Jones's girlfriends. As might be guessed, the relationship between the trio was far from cordial when Jones died, and only three days after his death, the band played a concert in London's Hyde Park; a concert that had been intended to introduce new guitarist Taylor, but turned into a weird -- and insincere -- tribute to Jones. On July 10th, Jones was buried in his home town of Cheltenham in a bronze and silver casket paid for by Bob Dylan. The only Stones to show up at the funeral were Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. Jagger was traveling to Australia to shoot a movie, and Richards had "studio commitments." There was no love lost for the man who had brought them fame and whose death helped build their legend. Suggested Sites... TruTV: All About Brian Jones - extensive biography of the Rolling Stones founder, including the mysteries surrounding his death. MySpace: Brian Jones - a plethora of pictures, videos, and stories about Jones. The Brian Jones Fan Club - a must for the devoted admirers of the musician. The 27 Club - dedicated to all the music artists who died at the age of 27.

Directory categories: Brian Jones, The Rolling Stones, Artist's Memorials, Rock Artists, Rock Music

Archived under: 1960s, Anniversaries, Biographies, Celebrities, Dead Celebrities, Death, Entertainment, Music, Musicians, Mysteries, Rock and Roll, Suicide, United Kingdom

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