The name Stash Klossowski De Rola often gets a mention in various Rolling Stones biographies - a mysterious young aristocrat who got busted with Brian Jones in 1967.

Stash' full name is Prince Stanislaus Klossowski De Rola, Baron De Watteville. He is a son of one of the greatest painters of twentieth century - Balthus (A Polish-French aristocrat whose full name was Count Balthasar Klossowski De Rola). His mother was a Swiss aristocrat named Antoinette Von Wattenwyl (Or De Watteville). Stanislaus (Stash to his friends) was born on 13th of October 1942 in Bern, Switzerland. He spent his childhood in Villa Diodati in Cologny above Geneva - a mansion that was once a residence of distant ancestor of Stash's - Lord Byron.

During his adolescence, spent in Swiss and English boarding schools, Stash started developing keen interest in acting as well as rock'n'roll music.

"When I was 14 I became an ardent fan of rock'n'roll, collecting Elvis records and riding my horse, sometimes through the snow, to visit the only house with a TV in entire region in order to view the rock'n'roll show 'Six Five Special'. I was then discovered by director Luchino Visconti in Rome in 1959 and signed to a film contract. I attended the 13th Cannes Film Festival with Fellini in 1960. I lived between Rome, Paris and London and was friends with a lot of African-American musicians including the late Tony Williams, lead singer of The Platters. In the late 1962, I went to New York to pursue my acting career and thence to Hollywood" (Ugly Things magazine, issue 31, 2011, p 78).

In late 1964, Stash returned to Paris, where he joined The Playboys - a backing band of his old friend Vince Taylor, as a percussionist. When in 1965, Vince Taylor co-topped the bill with The Rolling Stones at Paris Olympia, Stash befriended Brian Jones. "Initially, I was only really close to Brian , although I was also very friendly with everyone else in the band. My own friendship with both Mick and Keith really only fully blossomed in the wake of the tragico-farcical bust, with Brian, that ruined many things in my professional life, but earned me the sympathy and enduring friendship of The Beatles that led me to play with them" (Ugly Things, p 78).

Following Vince Taylor's drug and alcohol-induced nervous breakdown in spring 1965, Stash started a new band with drummer Robbie Clark and guitarist Ralph Danks. Following a series of gigs at Paris club Bilboquet as well as the gig at the happening at American Center (organized by Arrabal, Roland Topor, Alejandro Jodorowski and Stash himself) the band was offered recording contract by Paris label which wanted to promote them as 'French Beatles'. However their dislike of the contemporary French pop was a main reason behind their decision to turn down the offer. Instead, Stash , Robbie and Ralph chose to follow the Everly Brothers (whom they met one night at Bilboquet) to Los Angeles. Stash reminisces of the mid-sixties LA music scene: "On the whole the musical scene was incredibly rich and we were all friends. Arthur Lee and Bryan McLean were my closest friends from Love, but I was also close to Chamber Brothers, To Roger (then Jim) McGuinn and many others besides our beloved Everly Brothers. We attended a showcase concert of The Yardbirds at the private home in the Hollywood Hills, a memorable concert of James Brown, were guests on a TV show with Sonny and Cher, and also attended Bob Dylan's Hollywood Bowl concert" (Ugly Things, p 80). However, being a long haired hippie in the mid-sixties America, had its dark side: "The climate of those golden days that mesmerize some of the youth of today do not take into account the climate of hatred, the 'fear and loathing' that we inspired in the hearts of straight society. It is well worthy of note to recall that somehow one's long hair and strange clothes were perceived as such a threat, that they warranted unprovoked violence. All modern freaks owe us a large debt of gratitude as we weathered the jibes, were persecuted by the authorities, and as often as not had to fight against all manner of louts offended by one's appearance" (Ugly Things, p 80).

Another memorable episode from Stash's stay in Los Angeles was a meeting with director Bob Rafaelson and producer Bert Schneider: "Bob Rafaelson and his partner were courting me to play the lead in a new TV series,' The Monkees', which they touted as' A Hard Day's Night' every week. Needles to say, when I read the script for the pilot, I was horribly disappointed and expressed grave doubts that