10 Classic Rock Artists That Died Too Soon
8. Brian Jones - the Rolling Stones
From the very first shows they played, the Rolling Stones attracted a reputation as one of the nastiest groups in the British Invasion. Even though Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have had the role of rock and roll rebel for years, no one had as many nefarious habits as guitarist Brian Jones. While his misbehavior may have been out of hand, Jones was instrumental in getting the Stones to where they are today.
More than just a guitarist, Jones was the de facto leader of the group before Jagger and Richards stepped in, with him calling the shots and even coming up with the band's name. However, as the Glimmer Twins started to get more and more attention, Jones felt himself being consistently pushed out of the group, which led to him turning to booze and drugs to ease his pain.
On tracks on later Stones albums like Beggars Banquet, the musician known for playing a countless array of instruments was subjected to subtle accentuations on the records. After going back to his home to cool out, a chance encounter at his house got way out of hand, leading to Jones being found unresponsive at the bottom of his swimming pool.
The Stones would go on to create more groundbreaking material, but the cost was one of the greatest musicians that the rock world had ever seen.