From a very young age, Brian was interested in music. He started piano lessons around the age of 6. His mother, Louisa was a musician and taught Brian up until that age. He learned so quickly, that she soon had to find another teacher, the first of whom was Mrs. Grace Stone. Shortly after Brian began taking lessons from her, he also began composing his own pieces of music. Mrs. Stone was quite aware that Brian had a rare musical talent and told his parents such and that she felt he was truly gifted. All of his succeeding music teachers agreed with her observation.
Brian however, did not want to just play piano and soon added clarinet lessons as well, which he later played in the school orchestra at Pates Grammar School. By 1955, Brian had traded in his clarinet for a second-hand saxophone.
Brian started school in 1947, attending Dean Close Public School near his home at 335 Hatherley Road in Cheltenham. He later attended Pates Grammar School in 1953. Brian was a very bright student and especially adept at music,
mathematics, science and English. He did, in fact, have an IQ that was remarkably above average; in the top 3% of the British population. When the young Mr. Jones chose to work to his full capacity, he shone as a student, often even passing exams in spite of himself.
Often however, he was "difficult" and purposely went out of his way to break rules that he saw as stifling and too regimented.
Many of the transgressions Brian committed would be laughed at today; but in the context of the time, they were taken as deadly serious offenses. Such things as "losing" his spectacles,destroying his mortarboard which was part of the school uniform, wearing sports shoes in the classroom.all contributed to an image of a rebel, a non-conformist, a bad boy, a troublemaker.
It's rather doubtful that the young Brian carefully planned all this; much more likely that there was in him a strong desire to be exactly who he was within himself. This natural sense of non-conformity served him very well musically in later years, leading him to both innovative and original musical contributions, although it must be said that it is relatively certain that at least in part, that character trait was also a contributing factor in his difficulties with others.
Though Brian often gave his teachers great cause for grief
he was, in general, very well liked by the other students. In the
dichotomy that marked his life,
he was both extremely shy and yet daring at the same time, the
latter making him somewhat of a "hero" to the others, especially
in regards to his various school
escapades and his great popularity with the girls. That popularity lasted only until he impregnated his 14 year old girlfriend Valerie, in 1958. Suddenly, his popularity was gone and the matter reached the local newspaper.
He soon became looked upon as a pariah in his own town The entire affair and ensuing gossip caused Brian to leave school, and although he had earned 9 certificates as well as a chemistry and physics certificate (all with high marks), going on to University was out of the question. Because of the humiliation and shame his parents felt he had brought the family, their relationship became even more strained.
Though Brian often gave his teachers great cause for grief
he was, in general, very well liked by the other students. In the
dichotomy that marked his life,
he was both extremely shy and yet daring at the same time, the
latter making him somewhat of a "hero" to the others, especially
in regards to his various school
escapades and his great popularity with the girls. That popularity lasted only until he impregnated his 14 year old girlfriend Valerie, in 1958. Suddenly, his popularity was gone and the matter reached the local newspaper.
He soon became looked upon as a pariah in his own town The entire affair and ensuing gossip caused Brian to leave school, and although he had earned 9 certificates as well as a chemistry and physics certificate (all with high marks), going on to University was out of the question. Because of the humiliation and shame his parents felt he had brought the family, their relationship became even more strained.
Soon after, Brian packed up his
guitar, a few clothes and what little money he had, and left home for the Continent. He stayed for 8 or 9 months in both Germany and Sweden, earning his way by sitting in with the occasional band or by busking (essentially playing on a streetcorner for spare change) He later claimed that those days were the happiest of his life but it was a much changed Brian who returned to England's shores.
Lewis Brian, the boy from Cheltenham who loved the blues was replaced by a more worldy-
wise and cynical young man, a pre-cursor to the "bad boy" image he would have as a Rolling Stone.
