Gary James' Interview With Brian Jones' Daughter
Barbara Anna Marion



There's a new film being released in April 2020 titled Rolling Stone: Life And Death Of Brian Jones. Brian Jones of course was an original member of The Rolling Stones who died unexpectedly at his home in England on July 3^rd, 1969. We spoke to Barbara Anna Marion about Brian Jones, who just happens to be her father, and about this new documentary on his life and death.

Q - Barbara, as I always tell people, to me Brian Jones was and will always be The Rolling Stones. He was the founder of the group. He named the group. He was the best dressed. He was the best looking.

A - That's true.

Q - Yet, when you mention his name to some people they will say, "Who?"

A - Exactly. I didn't know who he was. It wasn't until 2002.

Q - Is it your hope that this new documentary will bring to the public's attention your father's contributions to The Rolling Stones?

A - Absolutely. I think Danny (Garcia - the film's producer) and Nick Reynolds (the film's co-producer) have really brilliantly represented who Brian was and what he has done for The Stones in addition to raising real concerns about the way police handled his death and investigation. So, I think they've done a real brilliant job.

Q - I won't ask you who your mother is, but is she still alive?

A - She is. She is a cancer survivor and she is still alive today (2020).

Q - Has she seen the film and what's her reaction been?

A - She has not seen the film. She generally avoids discussing the topic. Let's just put it that way.

Q - When were you first told your father was a former member of The Rolling Stones and what was your reaction?

A - I was told in April of 2002. I was pregnant with my fourth child and she (Barbara's mom) had a diagnosis of stage four cancer and they had given her eight weeks to eight months to live. She sat me down on her bed and said, "You know what? I'm probably going to die and you should know this because you're probably going to find this out." When she told me the name, I didn't recognize it. She did say a guitarist. I said, "Okay." When she told me, it wasn't a big surprise because there was always such a secrecy around my beginnings. Always hush, hush. That wasn't a big surprise. When she told me, okay, a guitarist, Rolling Stones, I don't know anybody named Brian Jones in The Rolling Stones. When you think of The Rolling Stones you think of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. You don't think of Brian Jones. I had no clue. When she told me I said, "Okay. I'll go check him out." I went on Google and saw his photos and it just really, really hit me at that point that I could finally see who I was looking at in the mirror. It was, "Wow!" I can't even find the words to describe it. It was really shocking. Shocking definitely.

Q - Did you then read books on The Rolling Stones and your father?

A - I did. I read some books. What I did was try to contact my grandparents. I tried for a couple of years. As I was trying to get in touch with them I was reading about Brian. I had gone to some of the forums and did a lot of Googling. I read Up And Down With The Rolling Stones, or no, not that one. It was the Bill Wyman one, Stone Alone. That's the one I read.

Q - Did you then go back to your mother and ask her more questions about his life and death?

A - I did. She's not very forthcoming. She did discuss a few things with me of course about my origins. She's really reluctant to discuss. It's kind of not spoken about in our household, unfortunately, but that's the way it is. I do know how she met him. I do know how they formed their relationship. But I don't really speak to her very much about this and I haven't for years at this point.

Q - Maybe if she sees this documentary she'll open up a little bit?

A - I would hope so. I'm going to present it to her because I'd really like a lot more input from her. She's given me some, but as I said, she's very reluctant.

Q - Do you have, that you know of, any brothers or sisters?

A - I do.

Q - Have you been in contact with them?

A - Yes. Absolutely. (laughs) Definitely. That has been really satisfying for me, to connect. I have four brothers and one sister. I have connected with all of them with the exception of Pat Andrews' son Mark, but I have spoken to Pat. So yes, that was extremely satisfying for me to connect with my siblings.

Q - Have you ever met with or spoken to Mick, Keith, Charlie or Bill?

A - Never. They do not have an interest particularly in Brian's offspring, from what I understand.

Q - If you called their management office or record company publicist, you would not be put through?

A - I don't believe so. I'm not sure, but I really don't think they want anything to do with Brian anymore. I get a clear indication from what Mick and Keith have said, Perhaps Bill Wyman would. He did meet my brother, John. I know that. So, I think he would be receptive, but Mick or Keith, I don't think at all. I don't think they care. I think they'd roll their eyes, "Oh God, not another one," because he had quite a few children.

Q - You were recently in Naples and London. Are you involved in some aspect of show business or the Rock 'n' Roll business?

A - I am not. I am an Eating Psychology Coach. I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist. I help women who have an eating and alcohol disorder. I have a lot of high profile clients that will actually hire me and I will go to their location to work with them for three to five days as an intensive. That's why I'm traveling so much.

Q - You travel all over the world?

A - Pretty much.

Q - You must have some high profile clients.

A - I do. They don't want to be in rehab or need to have their issues known to the world. I work on referral a lot. They hire me and I go to them. It's very satisfying work to help people.

Q - Because your father was Brian Jones, would you the be able to get to meet other famous Rock stars or have you never tried that?

A - I've never tried that. I really had no interest in it, to meet other Rock stars. I do have personal connections. I used to have personal connections and got backstage with The Who, which is my favorite band of all time. But, that really didn't have anything to do with who my father was. I've never tried that. I just haven't had the interest in it.

Q - Could you for example mention your background and get a good seat at a restaurant?

A - No. I don't think so. (laughs) They'd say, "Who?"

Q - Well, I just had to ask.

A - Oh, of course. Of course. No, I've never tried that. It's just something that doesn't come up in conversation with a lot of people who know me professionally and casually don't even know because it's just something that doesn't come up in conversation.

Q - With all the talk surrounding the mysterious circumstances of your father's death, did you ever think maybe he just had a heart attack?

A - There was one point in my life. I'd say about ten years ago (2010). I thought maybe he just blacked out. Maybe he just did. But, the more I studied, the more I understood about the situation, the more I understood that is not what happened. I truly believe that the police bungled, either intentionally or unintentionally. I happen to think intentionally bungled the investigation. Brian Jones was made an example of by the police. I think it was easier for them. I think people had connections within the police. Yeah, I think my dad was murdered. I think the police didn't do anybody any justice here.

Q - Rolling Stone ran an article on your father's death a month after it happened, titled "Jones's Death Shrouded In Mystery". Why Rolling Stone didn't send a reporter over to England to start digging into Brian's death is a mystery.

A - I believe there was a reporter by the name of Scott Jones who tried to reopen the case back in, I believe 2008 or 2009. The police are refusing to investigate any further. They're saying there's no new evidence. I know that some files are closed for seventy-five years. So the police, I believe, are at the root of this entire "shrouded in mystery" thing. So, they're not going to be very willing to expose mis-doings or misbehavior on their part. I think this will not be reopened. It will remain the same, unfortunately.

Q - At this point in history, what could anybody uncover?

A - Everybody's dead. All the key players have passed away. Frank Thorogood, Tom Keylock, Anne Wohlin, not that she's implicated in his death in any way, but I believe she knew things or saw things. Everybody is dead at this point. I don't know what they could possibly do.

© Gary James. All rights reserved.

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