Brian Jones ( b4 )

He listened to classical music as a child but preferred blues, particularly Elmore James and Robert Johnson. Jones began performing at local blues and jazz clubs, while busking and working odd jobs. He reportedly stole small amounts of money from work to pay for cigarettes, for which he was fired.

In November 1959, he went to the Wooden Bridge Hotel in Guildford to see a band perform. He met a young married woman named Angeline, and the two had a one-night stand that resulted in her pregnancy. Angeline and her husband decided to raise the baby, Belinda, born on 4 August 1960. Jones never knew about her birth.

In 1961, Jones applied for a scholarship to Cheltenham Art College. He was initially accepted into the programme, but two days later the offer was withdrawn after an unidentified acquaintance wrote to the college, calling Jones an irresponsible drifter.

On 22 October 1961, Jones' girlfriend Pat Andrews gave birth to his third child, Julian Mark Andrews. Jones sold his record collection to buy flowers for Pat and clothes for the newborn. He lived with them for a while. On 23 July 1964 another woman, Linda Lawrence (later married to Donovan), gave birth to Jones' fourth child, Julian Brian Lawrence. In early October 1964 an occasional girlfriend of Brian's, Dawn Molloy, announced to Brian and the band's management that she was pregnant by him. She received a cheque for £700 (equivalent to £13,934 in 2018) from group manager Andrew Loog Oldham. In return, she signed an agreement that the matter was now closed and that she would make no statement about Brian Jones or the child to the public or the press. The undated statement was signed by Molloy and witnessed by Mick Jagger.

Forming the Rolling Stones

Jones left Cheltenham and moved to London, where he became friends with fellow musicians Alexis Korner, future Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones, then named Paul Pond, future Cream bassist Jack Bruce, and others who made up the small London rhythm and blues and jazz scene there.

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