TeachRock

(1942 – 1969)

Brian Jones was a founding member of the Rolling Stones, forming the group in 1962. He was responsible for recruiting Mick Jagger to the band; Mick in turn brought Keith Richards into the fold as a second guitarist.

A blues fanatic, Jones initially functioned as the band's leader and manager. When the Stones acquired an official manager in Andrew Loog Oldham, Jones' role in the band began to diminish. Oldham encouraged Jagger and Richards to develop a catalog of original material, and Jones, who showed little inclination toward songwriting, saw his influence within the band dwindle. He would gradually isolate himself from the rest of the Stones, becoming a prolific drinker and drug abuser. He was asked to leave the Rolling Stones in 1969, and was replaced by Mick Taylor. Less than a month later, he was found dead in the swimming pool at his estate in southern England.