From the National 'Independent' Newspaper

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Independent Online Edition > Features

Brian Jones: Who killed the Rolling Stones guitarist?

Officially, he died by accident. But rumours about the Rolling Stones guitarist's death won't go away. Now, an explosive new theory may prove it was murder, says reporter Steve Bloomfield. In the Beechwood shopping centre in the centre of Cheltenham, sits an empty glass case. A bust of Brian Jones, one of the founders of the Rolling Stones, was unveiled here in his hometown in July, but within three months it had been removed. Jones died in July, 1969, aged just 27. He was found drowned in his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm in Sussex, which was the former home of Winnie the Pooh creator, AA Milne. A verdict of "death by misadventure" was recorded by the coroner. A cocktail of drink and drugs was said to be in his bloodstream.

The bust, even before it was put on display, was far from popular. It had been paid for with subscription fees from the Brian Jones Fan Club which had been wound up in 2003. But local paper the Gloucestershire Echo couldn't find many local people happy with the idea, while an editorial in the Western Daily Press proclaimed: "Addict is no role-model for spa town".

At the ceremony to unveil the statue, the shopping centre's public-address system played a series of Rolling Stones tracks from the 1970s - all written and recorded after Jones's death. Worse was to come. The cloth covering the bust was removed, to gasps of disbelief from the die-hard fans who had travelled from all over the country for the occasion. The head beared little resemblance to Jones and was a rather bizarre shade of green. Yet this was nothing compared to the hair. In a bid to recreate Jones's golden mop, a bright yellow thatch clung to the bust's scalp. It was, claimed one fan, as if someone had plonked an omelette on his head. Fan message boards hummed with outrage. "Would some vandal kindly paint it black?" pleaded one. "It is hideous," claimed several. "It is so dreadful it is almost funny," cried another.

The bust was quietly removed last month, although David Reynolds, who ran the original fan club and was responsible for commissioning the bust, has said this is simply so that it can be re-cast in bronze. Whether the omelette will stay or not is another matter.

For those who cling to the memory of Jones, this farcical episode is no surprise. Jones was one of the style icons of the 1960s. He was not afraid to wear women's clothes or jewellery, while his long, golden hair put the Beatles' more conservative mop-tops firmly in the shade. Jones did not just play the guitar but also the piano, sitar and xylophone, among others. He played with Jimi Hendrix and counted Bob Dylan among his group of friends.

But since his death in 1969, Jones has slipped from public consciousness. Jagger, Richards, Wyman and Watts are now worth more than £100m each, their never-ending world tours are always sold out, and even their new material has found an appreciative audience. For Stones fans who found the band after 1969, Jones never existed. The remaining band members rarely talk about him. In a recent interview with Q magazine, Keith Richards was asked if he could bring anyone back from the dead, who would it be? His immediate answer was the American blues musician, Muddy Waters. When the interviewer mentioned Jones, Richards replied: "Oh, I wouldn't want to bring him back. He was an arsehole."

Continued…….

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