Brian Jones is the lead guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist for the British rock band The Rolling Stones. Brian managed to stand out due to the original texts and the bright image of the "fashionista".
The biography of the musician is not without negative points. In particular, Jones used drugs. His death at the age of 27 made him one of the first musicians to form the so-called "27 Club".
The childhood and youth of Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (full name of the artist) was born in the small town of Cheltenham. The boy suffered from asthma throughout his childhood. Jones was born not in the quietest time, just then there was the Second World War.
Despite the hard time, Brian's parents could not live a day without music. This helped them take their minds off their financial problems. Working as an engineer, the head of the family played the piano and organ perfectly. In addition, he sang in the church choir.
Jones' mother worked as a music teacher, so she taught Brian how to play the piano. Later, the guy picked up the clarinet. The creative mood that reigned in the Lewis home influenced the formation of Jones' interest in music.
In the late 1950s, Jones first picked up a Charlie Parker record. He was so impressed with jazz music that he asked his parents to buy a saxophone.
Soon Brian mastered playing several musical instruments at once. But, alas, after he honed his skills to a professional level, he quickly got bored with the game.
On his 17th birthday, his parents gave him an instrument that touched him to the core. Jones had a guitar in his hands. At that moment, a true love for music arose. Brian rehearsed and wrote songs every day.
Brian Jones: school years
Special attention deserves the fact that Jones studied well in all educational institutions. In addition, the future star was fond of badminton and diving. However, the young man did not achieve significant success in sports.
Later, Jones noted for himself that the school and educational institutions subject students to some general rules. He avoided wearing a school uniform, tried to stand out in bright images, which did not fit into the generally accepted rules. Such behavior certainly could not please the teachers.
Non-standard behavior made Jones one of the most popular students in the school. But this allowed the ill-wishers from the school leadership to look for reasons to curb the negligent student.
The carelessness soon changed with some problems. In 1959, it became known that Jones' girlfriend, Valerie, was pregnant. At the time of the conception of the child, the couple had not yet reached the age of majority.
Jones was expelled in disgrace not only from school, but also from home. He went on a trip to Northern Europe, including the countries of Scandinavia. The guy was playing the guitar. Interestingly, his own son, who was named Simon, never saw his father.
Soon Brian returned to his homeland. The journey led to a change in musical taste. And if earlier the musician's preferences were classics, today he is carried away by the blues. In particular, his idols were Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. A little later, the treasury of musical tastes was replenished with country, jazz and rock and roll.
Brian continued to live "one day". He didn't care about the future. He worked in jazz clubs, bars and restaurants. The musician spent the earned money on the purchase of new musical instruments. He was repeatedly fired from establishments because he allowed himself liberties and took money from the cash register.
Creation of The Rolling Stones
Brian Jones understood that his native provincial town had no prospects. He went to conquer London. Soon the young man met such musicians as:
- Alexis Corner;
- Paul Jones;
- Jack Bruce.
The musicians managed to create a team, which soon became known in almost every corner of the planet. Of course, we are talking about a group The Rolling Stones. Brian became a professional bluesman who had no equal.
In the early 1960s, Jones invited new members to his group. We are talking about musician Ian Stewart and vocalist Mick Jagger. Mick first heard Jones' beautiful playing with friend Keith Richards at The Ealing Club, where Brian performed with Alexis Korner's band and vocalist Paul Jones.
On his own initiative, Jagger took Richards to rehearsals, as a result of which Keith became part of the young team. Jones soon invited the musicians to perform under the name The Rollin' Stones. He "borrowed" the name from one of the songs in Muddy Waters' repertoire.
The debut performance of the group took place in 1962 at the site of the Marquee nightclub. Then the team performed as part of: Jagger, Richards, Jones, Stewart, Dick Taylor acted as a bass player, as well as drummer Tony Chapman. In the next few years, the musicians spent playing musical instruments and listening to blues tracks.
For some time the band played on the grounds of jazz clubs on the outskirts of London. Gradually, The Rolling Stones gained popularity.
Brian Jones was at the helm. Many perceived him as the obvious leader. The musician negotiated concerts, found rehearsal venues, and organized promotions.
Within a few years, Jones proved to be a more relaxed and attractive performer than Mick Jagger. Brian managed to overshadow all the members of the cult group The Rolling Stones with his charisma.
The peak of the popularity of The Rolling Stones
The group's popularity increased exponentially. In 1963, Andrew Oldham drew attention to talented musicians. He tried to create a bluesy, gritty alternative to the more benevolent Beatles. As far as Andrew succeeded, music lovers will judge.
The arrival of Oldham influenced the mood of Brian Jones. Moreover, the change in mood cannot be called positive. From now on, the place of leaders was taken by Jagger and Richards, while Brian was in the shadow of glory.
For several years, the authorship of many tracks in the band's repertoire was attributed to Nanker Phelge. This meant only one thing, that the Jagger-Jones-Richards-Watts-Wyman team worked on the repertoire.
Throughout his creative career, Jones has demonstrated to the public the ability to play several musical instruments. In particular, he played the piano and clarinet. Despite the fact that Brian was not so popular, he was still enthusiastically received by the public.
When The Rolling Stones had the opportunity to record songs in professional, well-equipped recording studios, Brian Jones, influenced by the Pet Sound (The Beach Boys) compilation and The Beatles' experiments in Indian music, added wind and string musical instruments.
In the mid-1960s, Brian also performed as a backing vocalist. You must listen to the musical compositions I Wanna Be Your Man and Walking The Dog. The musician's slightly rough voice can be heard on the tracks Come On, Bye Bye Johnny, Money, Empty Heart.
Brian Jones and Keith Richards managed to achieve their own "guitar weave" style of playing. Actually, this became the signature sound of The Rolling Stones.
The signature sound was that Brian and Keith played either rhythm parts or solos at the same time. The musicians did not distinguish between these two styles of playing. This style can be heard on the records of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Watters and Howlin' Wolf.
Break with The Rolling Stones
Despite the money, popularity, world fame, he was increasingly found drunk in the dressing room. Later, Brian began to use drugs frequently.
Members of the group made repeated remarks to Jones. Differences between Jagger-Richards and Jones grew. His contribution to the band's music became less significant. Jones thought about the fact that he did not mind going on a free “swimming”.
The musician left the band in the mid-1960s. In May 1968, Jones recorded his last parts for The Rolling Stones.
Brian Jones: solo projects
After leaving the cult band, Jones, along with his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg, produced and starred in the German avant-garde film Mord und Totschlag. Brian recorded the soundtrack for the film, inviting musicians to collaborate, including Jimmy Page.
In early 1968, the musician played percussion on an unpublished version of Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix. He also appeared on the same platform with musician Dave Mason and the Traffic band.
A little later, the artist performed the saxophone part to The Beatles' track You Know My Name (Look Up The Number). He also took part in the recording of the track Yellow Submarine. Interestingly, in his last work, he created the sound of broken glass.
In the late 1960s, Jones worked with the Moroccan ensemble Master Musicians of Joujouka. The album Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka (1971) was released posthumously. In its sound, it was similar to ethnic music.
Brian Jones personal life
Brian Jones, like most inveterate rockers, was a very hooligan man. The musician was in no hurry to burden himself with a serious relationship.
That is, he did not lead any of his chosen ones down the aisle. During his 27 years, Jones had several children by different women.
Brian Jones: interesting facts
- Brian was sure that it was impossible to create in a "pure" form. Drugs and alcohol were the companions of a talented musician.
- In a famous photo shoot for a German magazine, Brian Jones was shown dressed in a Nazi uniform.
- The name of Brian Jones is included in the "Club 27" list.
- Brian was short (168 cm), blue-eyed blond. Nevertheless, he was one of the first to create the typical image of a "rock star".
- The name of Brian Jones is used in the name of the famous American band Brian Jones Town Massacre.
Death of Brian Jones
The famous musician died on July 3, 1969. His body was found in the pool of the estate in Hartfield. The musician went into the water for only a few minutes. The girl Anna said that when she got him out of the water, the man's pulse was felt.
When the ambulance arrived at the scene, the doctors recorded the death. According to medical experts, death was the result of negligence. The heart and liver of the deceased were deformed as a result of excessive use of drugs and alcohol.
However, Anna Wolin made a shocking announcement in the late 1990s. The girl reported that the musician was killed by builder Frank Thorogood. The man confessed this to the driver of The Rolling Stones, Tom Kilok, shortly before his death. There were no other witnesses to this tragic day.
In her book The Murder of Brian Jones, the woman referred to builder Frank Thorogood's strange yet joyful behavior during the pool incident. Also, the ex-girlfriend of the celebrity focused on the fact that, unfortunately, she does not remember all the events that accompanied her on July 3, 1969.
