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Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones[1][2] (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician, best

known as the founder and the original leader of the Rolling Stones.[3] 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 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 Mick Jaggerand Keith Richards began to take over the band's musical
direction, especially after they became a successful songwriting team. Jones also did not get along
with the band's manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, who pushed the band into a musical direction at
odds with Jones' blues background. At the same time, Jones developed alcohol and drug problems,
and 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 asked Jones to leave; guitarist Mick
Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later, drowning in the swimming
pool at his home.
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."[4]

Contents

 1Biography
o 1.1Early life and children
o 1.2Forming the Rolling Stones
o 1.3Musical contributions
o 1.4Estrangement from bandmates
o 1.5Departure from the Rolling Stones
o 1.6Death
 1.6.1Murder claims
 2Songwriting credits
 3Other contributions
o 3.1Equipment
 4Public image and legacy
 5Discography
 6Notes
 7References
 8External links

Biography[edit]
Early life and children[edit]
Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones was born in the Park Nursing Home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on
28 February 1942.[5][6] An attack of croup at the age of four left him with asthma that lasted for the
rest of his life.[6] His middle-class parents, Lewis Blount Jones and Louisa Beatrice Jones
(née Simmonds) were of Welsh descent. Brian had two sisters: Pamela, who was born on 3 October
1943 and died on 14 October 1945 of leukemia; and Barbara, born on 22 August 1946.[7]
Both Jones' parents were interested in music: his father, Lewis, was a piano teacher in addition to
his job as an aeronautical engineer, and his mother, Louisa, played piano and organ and led
the choir at the local church.[6]
In 1957, Jones first heard Cannonball Adderley's music; this inspired his interest in jazz. Jones
persuaded his parents to buy him a saxophone and two years later his parents gave him his
first acoustic guitar as a 17th-birthday present.[8]
Jones attended local schools, including Dean Close School from September 1949 to July 1953,
and Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys, which he entered in September 1953 after passing
the eleven-plus exam. He enjoyed badminton and diving at school, and became first clarinet in the
school orchestra. He reportedly obtained seven O-level passes in 1957, thence continuing into
the sixth form and obtaining a further two O-levels. He also took three A-levels in physics, chemistry
and biology, passing the first two and failing biology.[9] Jones was able to perform well in exams
despite a lack of academic effort.[9] However, he found school regimented and disliked the school
uniforms and conforming in general; he angered teachers with his behaviour, though he was popular
with classmates.[9] Jones himself said: "When I made the sixth form I found myself accepted by the
older boys; suddenly I was in."[9]
His hostility to authority figures resulted in his suspension from school on two occasions.[9] According
to Dick Hattrell, a childhood friend: "He was a rebel without a cause, but when examinations came
he was brilliant."[9]
In late summer 1959, Jones' 17-year-old girlfriend, a Cheltenham schoolgirl named Valerie Corbett,
became pregnant.[10] Although Jones is said to have encouraged her to have an abortion, she carried
the child to term and placed baby Barry David Corbett (later Simon) for adoption.[9]
Jones quit school in disgrace and left home, traveling for a summer through northern Europe and
Scandinavia. During this period, he lived a bohemian lifestyle, busking with his guitar on the streets
for money, and living off the charity of others. Eventually, he ran short of money and returned to
England.[11]
He listened to classical music as a child but preferred blues, particularly Elmore James and Robert
Johnson. Jones began performing at local blues and jazz clubs, while busking and working odd jobs.
He reportedly stole small amounts of money from work to pay for cigarettes, for which he was
fired.[12]
In November 1959, he went to the Wooden Bridge Hotel in Guildford to see a band perform. He met
a young married woman named Angeline, and the two had a one-night stand that resulted in her
pregnancy. Angeline and her husband decided to raise the baby, Belinda, born on 4 August 1960.
Jones never knew about her birth.[11]
In 1961, Jones applied for a scholarship to Cheltenham Art College. He was initially accepted into
the programme, but two days later the offer was withdrawn after an unidentified acquaintance wrote
to the college, calling Jones an irresponsible drifter.[13]
On 22 October 1961, Jones' girlfriend Pat Andrews gave birth to his third child, Julian Mark
Andrews.[14] Jones sold his record collection to buy flowers for Pat and clothes for the newborn. He
lived with them for a while. On 23 July 1964 another woman, Linda Lawrence (later married
to Donovan), gave birth to Jones' fourth child, Julian Brian Lawrence.[15] In early October 1964, an
occasional girlfriend of Brian's, Dawn Molloy, announced to Brian and the band's management that
she was pregnant by him. She received a cheque for £700 (equivalent to £13,934 in 2018[16]) from
group manager Andrew Loog Oldham. In return, she signed an agreement that the matter was now
closed and that she would make no statement about Brian Jones or the child to the public or the
press. The undated statement was signed by Molloy and witnessed by Mick Jagger.[17]
Forming the Rolling Stones[edit]
Jones left Cheltenham and moved to London, where he became friends with fellow musicians Alexis
Korner, future Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones, then named Paul
Pond,[18] future Cream bassist Jack Bruce, and others who made up the small London rhythm and
blues and jazz scene there. He became a blues musician, for a brief time calling himself "Elmo
Lewis", and playing slide guitar. Jones also started a group with Paul Jones called the Roosters; in
January 1963, after both Brian and Paul left the group, Eric Clapton took over Brian's position as
guitarist.[19]
Jones placed an advertisement in Jazz News (a Soho club information sheet) on 2 May 1962,
inviting musicians to audition for a new R&B group at the Bricklayer's Arms pub; pianist Ian "Stu"
Stewart was the first to respond. Later singer Mick Jagger also joined this band; Jagger and his
childhood friend Keith Richards had met Brian when he and Paul Jones were playing Elmore James'
"Dust My Broom" with Korner's band at the Ealing Jazz Club.[20] Jagger brought guitarist Richards to
rehearsals; Richards then joined the band. Jones' and Stewart's acceptance of Richards and
the Chuck Berry songs he wanted to play coincided with the departure of blues purists Geoff
Bradford and Brian Knight, who had no tolerance for Chuck Berry.[12]
As Keith Richards tells it, Jones came up with the name the "Rollin' Stones" (later with the 'g') while
on the phone with a venue owner. "The voice on the other end of the line obviously said, 'What are
you called?' Panic! The Best of Muddy Waters album was lying on the floor—and track five, side one
was 'Rollin' Stone Blues'".[21]
The Rollin' Stones played their first gig on 12 July 1962 at the Marquee Club in London, with a line-
up of Jagger, Richards, Jones, Stewart, bass player Dick Taylor (later of the Pretty Things) and
drummer Tony Chapman.[22][23]
From September 1962 to September 1963, Jones, Jagger and Richards shared a flat (referred to by
Richards as "a beautiful dump")[24] at 102 Edith Grove, Chelsea, with James Phelge, a future
photographer whose name was used in some of the group's early "Nanker/Phelge" writing credits.
Jones and Richards spent day after day playing guitar while listening to blues records
(notably Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf). During this time, Jones also
taught Jagger how to play harmonica.
The four Rollin' Stones went searching for a bassist and drummer, finally settling on Bill Wyman on
bass because he had a spare VOX AC30 guitar amplifier[25] and always had cigarettes, as well as a
bass guitar that he had built himself.[26] After playing with Mick Avory, Tony Chapman and Carlo
Little, in January 1963 they finally persuaded jazz-influenced Charlie Watts to join them. At the time,
Watts was considered by fellow musicians to be one of the better drummers in London; he had
played with (among others) Alexis Korner's group Blues Incorporated.
Watts described Jones' role in these early days: "Brian was very instrumental in pushing the band at
the beginning. Keith and I would look at him and say he was barmy. It was a crusade to him to get
us on the stage in a club and be paid half-a-crown and to be billed as an R&B band".[27]
While acting as the band's business manager, Jones received £5 more than the other members
(equivalent to £103 in 2018[16]), which did not sit well with the rest of the band and created
resentment.[28] Keith Richards has said that both he and Jagger were surprised to learn that Jones
considered himself the leader and was receiving the extra £5, especially as other people,
like Giorgio Gomelsky, appeared to be doing the booking.[29]

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