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The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones at Monterey Pop: Psychedelia, Style and Chaos

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At the Monterey Pop Festival, Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones looked less like a visiting celebrity and more like a high priest of psychedelic rock casually wandering through history before it realized cameras were rolling. While much of the music world was still pretending rock bands should behave respectably, Monterey embraced chaos, experimentation, and gloriously excessive fashion choices. Jones became one of the festival’s most memorable figures, especially when he welcomed The Jimi Hendrix Experience to the stage and publicly praised Jimi Hendrix with near-mythic admiration. In hindsight, the moment feels like one musical revolution introducing another — all before guitar destruction became practically a competitive sport in late-’60s rock culture.

The Monterey Pop Festival was a landmark three-day concert event held between June 16 and 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in California, and it quickly became one of the defining moments of the entire Summer of Love era. Long before massive corporate festivals and overpriced wristbands became the norm, Monterey gathered together an extraordinary mix of rock, soul, folk, blues, and psychedelic artists in what felt more like a cultural explosion than a carefully organized industry event. Among the many famous faces wandering through the crowd was Brian Jones, who attended alongside The Velvet Undergound’s Nico and Sheila Oldham, then-wife of the Stones’ former manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Dressed in full psychedelic finery, Jones can briefly be spotted in audience shots captured in the legendary 1968 concert documentary Monterey Pop.

One of Brian’s most memorable moments at the festival came when Brian introduced The Jimi Hendrix Experience to the audience. Clearly mesmerized by Hendrix’s talent, Jones famously described Jimi Hendrix as “the greatest guitarist I’ve ever seen.” Considering Brian himself was surrounded by some of the biggest names in rock music at the time, the statement carried enormous weight. Hendrix would go on to deliver one of the festival’s most unforgettable performances, complete with his now-mythic guitar-burning finale — because apparently simply playing brilliantly was not dramatic enough for 1967.

Brian Jones Introduces Jimi Hendrix: A Defining Moment at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival

The 1967 Monterey Pop Festival was a game-changer for music. The festival became a symbol of the counterculture movement and a turning point for rock music. It was the first major American appearance for many artists, including Jimi Hendrix, who famously set his guitar on fire. The event’s energy was electric, and it helped shape the future of music, cementing Monterey as a milestone in rock history that fans still talk about today.

Jones’ introduction of Hendrix added a layer of excitement and anticipation, as Jimi’s fiery guitar skills and innovative performances were about to captivate the crowd. Hendrix’s performance at the festival, which included his legendary rendition of The Troggs’ Wild Thing, was groundbreaking, particularly when he famously set his guitar on fire. Jones’ gesture of introducing Hendrix symbolized a passing of the torch, as both musicians were pioneers in their own right, influencing the direction of rock music.

This brief but iconic moment helped solidify the bond between the British Invasion and the American counterculture movement, marking a key moment in the Monterey Pop Festival’s legacy and in the broader history of rock music.

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