Police in Sussex are set to investigate the death of former Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones after discovering new evidence.
Brian Jones was pivotal in the formation and early success of The Rolling Stones. A wild child from a relatively privileged background, the young musician was entranced by the blues sounds emerging from Chicago.
Becoming one of the first people in Britain to play slide guitar Brian Jones’ purist ideals drove The Rolling Stones to greater heights of authenticity, at one stage recording in the iconic Chess Studios.
However Jones was also a ceaseless innovator. Becoming interested in Eastern philosophy he turned his hand to the sitar for the smash hit single ‘Paint It Black’. However as the Jagger-Richards partnership solidified the guitarist was gradually isolated from the group he helped form.
Eventually leaving The Rolling Stones Brian Jones entered in a spiral of drug abuse. Tragically, the young musician was found dead in 1969 at the bottom of a private swimming pool at Cotchford Farm in Hartfield, East Sussex.
At the time, police recorded a verdict of death by mis-adventure. At the Stones first public appearance since his death Mick Jagger read the elegy ‘Adonais’ before releasing thousands of butterflies.
Since then, many have speculated that the guitarist was murdered. Theories have been built up by mourning fans, with some pointing to Jones’ relationship with the building company working on his new mansion.
Now police are set to re-examine the case after being handed some new documents, BBC News reports. A spokesperson for the police claimed that it was too early to say whether a new investigation would be launched, but they will examine “new papers”.
