Brian Jones (1942 - 1969) of The Rolling Stones. Photo by Keystone/Getty Images.
Brian Jones was a guarded and tormented, enigmatic man of mystery. He was a guiding force of vision, inspired to create a wild, gritty, blues-based rock and roll band with the potential to knock the Beatles off of their 1962 squeaky-clean pedestal.
It was a dream of monumental proportions, but no deterrent for the boy from Gloucestershire. He placed an ad in the local paper looking for like-minded musicians – responders included Mick Jagger & Keith Richards – and rented an apartment for the trio. Here they lived in Dogs In Space style squalor, bonded over their love of music and rehearsed relentlessly to become the Rolling Stones.
The chorus of screaming girls in this 1966 performance of "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" on the Ed Sullivan Show is all the confirmation need to see that his free-spirited stylings were right on point:
With his cutting-edge fashion sense and iconic hairdo, Brian Jones was the ultimate ‘60s pop star, remaining an icon of style to this very day. He was not only adored and admired by fans and peers, he was heralded as an instigator of cultural change. Despite taking a relative back seat from the limelight, Jones was guided by a craving to inspire rebellion and freedom in modern rock and roll.
In this 1967 performance of "Ruby Tuesday", we see the true extent of Jones' fashion prowess. He humbly takes his place at the back of the stage, decked out in a compelling lime green satin shirt and white top hat, while effortlessly covering the parts of flute, piano and harmony vocals for the classic track he helped to pen.
His untimely death in 1969 would make him the first member of the infamous '27 Club', which has since grown to include icons like Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain (among others) who, like Jones, redefined history in their own short, fast, cultural revolutions.
Despite his brief time on Earth, Brian Jones’ flame burned bright. It’s fair to say the swinging ’70s may not have swung with quite so much flair and vigour without the foresight and understanding of an artist who saw music as more than entertainment. He saw it as a place to get lost, connect and be whoever you want.
To learn more about the life and times of Brian Jones, check out this Vinyl Rewind Special - Who Was Brian Jones?
The Brits have never shied away from pushing boundaries or speaking their minds. The '60s, '70s and beyond were a hotbed of cultural shake-ups and great fashion. Get lost in our Influential Brits playlist for a well-timed reminder on the origins of cool.
