Brian Jones: The Forgotten Rolling Stone

In 1963, at their beginning, rock's supergroup The Rolling Stones consisted of Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. In those early years, unlike the three other band members, lead guitarist Brian Jones shared the spotlight with Mick Jagger. Jones was a musical virtuoso, not only playing guitar, but also piano, clarinet, sitar, dulcimer, organ, melotron, marimba, and xylophone. Although many Stones fans have forgotten him, Brian Jones played with the Stones in their formative years from their first album, "The Rolling Stones", to their 1968 masterpiece "Beggars Banquet."

Jones officially left the group in June 1969. Some say it was due to disputes with other band members over his erratic behavior caused by hard drug and alcohol abuse. Others say it was because of his split with longtime girlfriend Anita Pallenberg, who then went with bandmate Keith Richards.

He was replaced with Mick Taylor from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

On July 3, 1969, Brian Jones was found dead at the bottom of the swimming pool at his house, Cotchford Farms, the former home of "Winnie the Pooh" author A. A. Milne.

The coroner stated that the official cause of death was "death by misadventure" caused by his drug and alcohol abuse. Others, however, believed (and still believe) that Jones was murdered.

Two days after his death, the Rolling Stones gave a free concert in London's Hyde Park. As a memorial to Brian Jones, Jagger recited a poem by Shelley about the death of his friend and fellow poet, John Keats. They were to also release a swarm of white moths from a box; but, because of the summer heat, most of the moths died.

In 2005, "Stoned", a film by director Stephen Wooley, was released. The film claimed that Brian Jones was murdered by a contractor named Thorogood for an unpaid debt. This theory first surfaced in 1999, when Jones' girlfriend Anna Wohlin stepped forward thirty years after his death with the accusation. She was the one who found Jones in his swimming pool. On his deathbed, accused murderer Thorogood confessed.