Drowned? or just washed up and left for dead?

Given the waves he made in his flamboyantly stormy life, it is maybe not surprising that the fateful plunge that curtailed it on July 3rd, 1967, should still be rippling the surface some forty years on. Whatever the reasons for his demise, such was Brian Jones charismatic allure for his fans, they were never likely to settle for a mundanely tragic circumstances of a domestic accident, he was after all 'Swinging England's first celebrity Rock'n'Roll martyr.

Byron and Pat Andrews on a memory trip

An insatiable appetite has since developed for rumours and theories themed around the mystery of "who killed Cock Robin", ensuring that anyone with a new angle or twist has a guaranteed market. So much so, it is fair to say that the financial rewards on offer probably tend to favour the sensational over the historically accurate testimonies of the surviving witnesses and protagonists.

This Summer, a TV production company has set supernatural sleuth Tony Stockwell on the case. They have filmed him as he re-visits the scene of events, staged re-enactment and interviewed people connected to Brian Jones. Stockwell, a sort of Psychic Hercule Poirot, is hoping his "extraordinary paranormal abilities" will enable him to dredge some sensational revelations from the murkey depths of this pool of muddied waters.

Byron, Pat and the production crew at Cotchford Farm

The Rollin Stoned's very own Byron Jones was filmed as Brian in various scenes in London and at Cotchford Farm, together with Pat Andrews, Brian's former girlfriend and mother of his son. The programme is scheduled to be screened later in Autumn on the Living TV channel, for those keen to find out whether they came up with more than duck weed.