Following her first ever performances in the spring/summer of 1979, Jones appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, the cover image showed Jones posing in a crouched stance, wearing a black bra and a white beret. The announcement of Lowell George's death appeared in the same issue, the largest selling issue in the magazine's history up to that time.. Her record was the first music 'video' used to launch an artist. Warner Brothers financed not only the film of the charismatic beginner but paid to instal monitors in record stores to promote her image and music. 18 months latter MTV hit the airwaves. Rickie Lee Jones' success proved video was the most effective marketing tool in decades.