Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones – Rockers Who Died at Age 27
On July 3, 1969, just a month after being kicked out of the famous group he had helped form -- the Rolling Stones -- guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones drowned in his own swimming pool.
Jones, a slide guitar genius who intended to be the Stones' leader as they performed more traditional blues-based music, was slowly pushed to the side in favor of the impressive songwriting abilities (and charismatic on-stage presences) of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. After he contributed to just two songs on 1969's Let it Bleed album, Jones' substance abuse problems -- including an arrest that threatened his ability to tour overseas -- became too much for his bandmates. Those same abuse problems are also believed to have contributed to his drowning death.