Pop star owed village store hundreds when he died

By ssatchell

AN INTERNATIONAL pop star ran up a £400 bill at a village store before mysteriously drowning 40 years ago today, it has been revealed.

Brian Jones, one of The Rolling Stones' founder members, was discovered at the foot of a swimming pool at his Cotchford Farm property in Hartfield, on July 2, 1969.

The six bedroom house, which he reportedly bought for £28,750 in 1968, is the former home of Winnie the Pooh author A. A. Milne.

Multi-instrumentalist Jones, known for his flamboyant attire and recreational drink and drug use, was in debt to the Hartfield village store before he died, aged 27.

Parrock Lane resident Peter Smith, whose father owned the store, said: "He used to come in wearing these wonderfully vivid and psychedelic clothes. He was never quite with it to be honest, but always a pleasant character. He would often come into the shop with his very skinny girlfriend.

"He died owing us about £400 give or take, which we basically wrote off."

Mr Smith believes Jones had assets of around £166,000, but owed the Inland Revenue nearly £200,000 in tax.

"He left the band before he died, so he wasn't getting any royalties," he added. "We got a letter through the post 12 years later saying we were owed the money by a Mr D B Jones. The fact that we got money was quite amazing, but it would've been nicer with the 12 years' interest."

Forest Row resident Simon Wells, author of The Rolling Stones: 365 Days, said he developed a keen interest in Jones and 60s pop culture in particular.

"He formed the base (of The Rolling Stones) and he was the main thing that got them motivated," he added. "He's still one of those fascinating characters of that era.

"For me, to have an international pop star move to somewhere as rural as Hartfield and engage himself in the local community is just so interesting. He warmed to the local area and I think one of his comments was that he wanted to stay there for the rest of his life."

Andy Neill, who co-wrote Good Times, Bad Times: The Definitive Diary of The Rolling Stones, added: "Jones was set up and went to jail for a couple of drugs busts. He wanted to find a country retreat, which is why he came here.

"At that period it was all happening in London in the 60s, but a lot of the major players had moved to the suburbs."