Brian Jones

Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician and composer, best known as the founder and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a slide guitarist, Jones would go on to play a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones recordings and in concerts, such as rhythm and lead guitar, sitar, dulcimer, various keyboard instruments such as piano and mellotron, marimba, wind instruments such as harmonica, recorder, saxophone, as well as drums, vocals and numerous others.Jones and fellow guitarist Keith Richards developed a unique style of guitar play that Richards refers to as the ancient art of weaving where both players would play rhythm and lead parts together; Richards would carry the style on with later Stones guitarists and the sound would become a Rolling Stones trademark.After he founded the Rolling Stones as a British blues outfit in 1962, and gave the band its name, Jones fellow band members Richards and Mick Jagger began to take over the bands musical direction, especially after they became a successful songwriting team. Jones also did not get along with the bands manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, who pushed the band into a musical direction at odds with Jones blues background. When Jones developed alcohol and drug problems, his performance in the studio became increasingly unreliable, leading to a diminished role within the band he had founded. In June 1969, the Rolling Stones dismissed Jones; guitarist Mick Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later, drowning in the swimming pool at his home at the age of 27.Long-time Rolling Stones bass guitarist Bill Wyman said of Jones, He formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. ... he was very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away.

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