Overview (5)

Mini Bio (1)

Widely regarded as the greatest and most influential guitarist in rock history, Jimi Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington, to African-American parents Lucille (Jeter) and James Allen Hendrix. His mother named him John Allen Hendrix and raised him alone while his father, Al Hendrix, was off fighting in World War II. When his mother became sick from alcoholism, Hendrix was sent to live with relatives in Berkeley, California. When his father returned from Europe in 1945 he took back Hendrix, divorced his wife, and renamed him James Marshall Hendrix.



When Jimi was 13 his father taught him to play an acoustic guitar. In 1959 Jimi dropped out of high school and enlisted in the U.S. Army, but soon became disenchanted with military service. After he broke his ankle during a training parachute jump, he was honorably discharged. He then went to work as a sideman on the rhythm-and-blues circuit, honing his craft but making little or no money. Jimi got restless being a sideman and moved to New York City hoping to get a break in the music business. Through his friend Curtis Knight, Jimi discovered the music scene in Greenwich Village, which left indelible impressions on him. It was here that he began taking drugs, among them marijuana, pep pills and cocaine.



In 1966, while Jimi was performing with his own band called James & the Blue Flames at Cafe Wha?, John Hammond Jr. approached Jimi about the Flames playing backup for him at Cafe Au Go Go. Jimi agreed and during the show's finale, Hammond let Jimi cut loose on Bo Diddley's "I'm the Man." Linda Keith, girlfriend of The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, was one of Jimi's biggest fans and it was she who told friend Chas Chandler, a band manager, about Jimi. When Chandler heard Jimi play, he asked him to come to London to form his own band, and while there Chandler made the simple change in Jimi's name by formally dropping James and replacing it with Jimi. Having settled in England with a new band called the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which consisted of Jimi as guitarist and lead singer, bass player Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, Jimi took the country by storm with the release of his first single "Hey, Joe."



In the summer of 1967 Jimi performed back in the USA at the Monterey Pop Festival, a mix-up backstage forced Jimi to follow The Who onstage, where after a superb performance Jimi tore up the house by trashing his guitar in a wild frenzy. Afterwards, Jimi's career skyrocketed with the release of the Experience's first two albums, "Are You Experienced?" and "Axis: Bold as Love," which catapulted him to the top of the charts. However, tensions, possibly connected with Jimi's drug use and the constant presence of hangers-on in the studio and elsewhere, began to fracture some of his relationships, including Chas Chandler, who quit as manager in February 1968.



In September 1968 the Experience released their most successful album, "Electric Ladyland." However, in early 1969 bassist Redding left the Experience and was replaced by Billy Cox, an old army buddy who Jimi had jammed with. Jimi began experimenting with different musicians. For the Woodstock music festival Jimi put together an outfit called the Gypsies, Sun and Rainbows, with Mitchell and Cox as well as a second guitarist and two percussionists. Their one and only performance in August 1969 at Woodstock took place near Bethel, New York, where Hendrix and his band were to be the closing headline act. Because of the delay getting there and the logistical problems, Jimi performed on the morning of the fourth and final day. Only 25,000 people of the original 400,000 stayed to watch Jimi and his band as the closing music number, where Jimi's searing rendering of "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the anthem for counterculture.



After Woodstock, Jimi formed a new band with Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums with the May 1970 release of the album "The Band of Gypsys." Jimi's last album, "Cry of Love", featured Cox on bass and former Experience drummer Mitchell on drums. However, Jimi's drug problem finally caught up with him. On the night of September 17, 1970, while living in London, Jimi took some sleeping pills, which were prescribed for his live-in girlfriend Monika Danneman. Sometime after midnight, Jimi threw up from an apparent allergic reaction to the pills and then passed out. Danneman, thinking him to be all right, went out to get cigarettes for them. When she returned, she found him lying where he collapsed, having inhaled his own vomit, and and she couldn't wake him. Danneman called an ambulance, which took him to a nearby hospital, but Jimi Hendrix was pronounced dead a short while later without regaining consciousness. He was 27 years old.



Jimi Hendrix's life was short, but his impact on the rock guitar is still being heard and set the course for a new era of rock music.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Matthew Patay

Trade Mark (7)

Guitar solos and heavy riffs



Fender Stratocaster



Played a right handed guitar left handed



Would often smash his guitar and/or light it on fire after a show



Brightly colored outfits



Pink headband



Afro and thin moustache



Trivia (101)

Usually played an upside-down Fender Stratocaster, restrung for left hand.



Was said to put LSD litmus ("blotter acid") under his bandana while he was playing on stage.





The footage of him playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the film Woodstock (1970) is one of the most studied pieces of musical film ever.



Guitar impresario Les Paul supposedly called Hendrix "a left-handed, mother f---ing genius". Neil Young said Hendrix was "absolutely the best guitar player that ever lived; there was no one even in the same building as that guy".



Musician Al Kooper received one of Hendrix's black Stratocasters from him as a gift; after deconverting the left-handed setup, Kooper used the guitar years later, to record the Crime Story: Pilot (1986) soundtrack.

Had actually lost over 60% of his hearing by the time of his death; during mixing sessions Hendrix often found himself the only person who could stand the playback volumes he needed, over the studio speakers.



As a United States Army paratrooper, Hendrix followed up a jump by trying to recreate the sound of the air rushing by, with his guitar and amplifier, back at the barracks.





Toured with The Monkees in 1967 as their opening act, in the weeks before his Monterey performance; disliking their music at first, Hendrix was surprised that the Monkees would invite him (They all but demanded his presence on tour from their managers.) He and the group hit it off well, though, and found each other to be genuine, impressive, and good company (Some jamming did happen offstage, but none was recorded.) Hendrix's act proved far less a match with the Monkees' fans, though, and performances sometimes unraveled among relentless cries for the headliners. Hendrix asked to leave the tour, to begin his own after Monterey; he left on good terms, but a story was concocted by the Monkees' press corps that Hendrix was out because of protests from the Daughters of the American Revolution, about his wild stage act -- an inside joke, and some extra publicity for Hendrix.

His parents, Lucille (Jeter) and James Allen Hendrix, were both African-American, as were all of his grandparents (Bertran Philander Hendrix, Zenora "Nora" Rose Moore, Preston Murice Jeter, and Clarice Lawson).



Hendrix played left-handed, much to the chagrin of his father, who believed that playing left-handed was a sign of the Devil! As Jimi's brother witnessed, Jimi played right-handed when his father was present. After the elder Hendrix left the room, Jimi would use his famous left hand. However, Jimi wrote with his right hand.



Hendrix was capable of playing guitars with his right and left hands. He also was able to play right-handed guitars without restringing. This unusual skill often served Jimi well: On many occasions he "auditioned" guitars in music stores -- where left-handed axes are not usually plentiful.



Though Hendrix did indeed play right-handed Fender Stratocasters upside down (with the strings restrung for lefty position), he did own at least one left-handed Stratocaster. Hendrix also owned a left-handed "Flying V" guitar, which he played periodically.





One of the early electric guitars Hendrix played was the now-discontinued Fender MusicMaster, which Jimi used while backing The Isley Brothers in the early 1960s. He also used the Fender Jazzmaster, an essential instrument for the punk music movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s.



Played in the Ike Turner Review under the name "Jimmy James".

Played his next to last performance at the infamous Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970.



Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) in 1992.





Hendrix and Pete Townshend of The Who got into a heated argument over who was going to follow whom at the Monterey Pop Festival. Neither artist wanted to follow the other, so John Phillips flipped a coin to decide who was going to go on. Townshend won, so Hendrix had to follow The Who, and he answered their usual end-of-show instrument smashing by setting his guitar on fire during the last song.

For years, many people thought that Hendrix's final performance was at the Isle of Wight Festival in England. However, Hendrix's final performance was at a festival in Germany that was marred by bad weather and violence, especially by the German Hell's Angels.





Wrote "Voodoo Child", which would later be the entrance theme for pro wrestler Hulk Hogan



He was a huge fan of Bob Dylan , often to the annoyance of friends and girlfriends as he would play Dylan's records again and again. Many say they can hear the influence of Dylan in Hendrix's lyrics. Hendrix often played "Like a Rolling Stone" at shows, but one of the legendary guitarist's best known songs was his cover of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" (Dylan today performs the song as a Hendrix tribute.).

He was voted the 6th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone. He was also voted the greatest guitarist of all time in a 2003 poll by Rolling Stone, a claim few would dispute.



Name was legally changed from "Johnny Allen Hendrix" to "James Marshall Hendrix" on September 11, 1946. He was 3 years old at the time.



Was the first musician inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame. He had stated that he had Tsalagi (Cherokee) and Nahua (Aztec) ancestors, though it is not clear if these lineages have been verified/documented.





When Jimi first moved to England he would often stay with his manager, Chas Chandler , in his hometown of Newcastle Upon Tyne. He often busked in the Heaton area of Newcastle near Chillingham Road, not far from where Chandler grew up and went to school.



He was discovered and managed by Chas Chandler , the Newcastle-born bass player for the 1960s group The Animals , who had a hit with "House of the Rising Sun", he later went on to manage the rock group Slade in the 1970s.



While living in London in 1966, he got the chance to jam with Cream . He had wanted a chance to play with Eric Clapton



David Gilmour of Pink Floyd lists him as a major influence. When Gilmour saw Hendrix playing in a London nightclub in 1966, he said that nobody who saw that performance left the club not thinking that Hendrix would go all the way to the top.

Ranked #51 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.



In spite of his legendary status, he only had one top 40 hit in the United States with "All Along the Watchtower".





Was very close friends with David Nuuhiwa , who later was used in Rainbow Bridge (1972).

(November 16, 2005) Posthumously inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture.





Though the guitar chord - 7th + sharpened 9th - became known as "The Hendrix Chord" through its heavy use on his "Foxy Lady" and "Purple Haze," the 7#9 was actually used several months earlier by George Harrison on "Taxman" from The Beatles ' 1966 album "Revolver".

Lived in London, England and New York City.



He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6627 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on November 14, 1991.



Was expelled from high school for poor grades and attendance, though he later received an honorary diploma.



Although the Fender Stratocaster is the guitar most associated with Hendrix, he played a variety during his career including the Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul and Gibson Flying V.



Was arrested for stealing cars in his youth and given the choice of jail or two years in the United States Army.



Was discharged from the United States Army for sub par service including sleeping on duty and poor marksmanship.





Jimi Hendrix and Engelbert Humperdinck had a mutual respect for each other's work. So when a guitarist didn't turn up for an Engelbert Humperdinck concert, Jimi offered to step in. Engelbert thought it might damage Jimi's image, so Jimi played behind a curtain, he also restrained himself from doing any trademark licks and played in the orchestral style of an Engelbert Humperdinck song.

He was posthumously awarded a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2007.



Following his untimely death, he was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Renton, Washington.



Jimi wrote with his right hand but played guitar with his left hand.



Pictured on a USA nondenominated 'forever' commemorative postage stamp in the Music Icons series, issued 13 March 2014. Price on the day of issue was 49¢.



On one occasion a girlfriend had to have stitches after Hendrix struck her above the eye with a bottle in a drunken rage.



He had fans request 'Hey Joe' so often he eventually got sick of it and disliked playing it.



He had a fear of needles.



Was known to be very charming with women to the point that friends were hesitant to introduce Their girlfriends to him.





His song 'Voodoo Chile' stunned a young boy who would later be inspired to play guitar and join a band. The boy was Dave Murray of Iron Maiden , and he recalls that when he heard that song on the radio for the first time, his reaction was, 'Bloody hell? What is THAT? How do you do THAT?'.

He is generally considered to be the greatest guitar player in history.



His manager Mike Jeffrey - a shadowy figure - was reputed to have stolen vast earnings of Jimi Hendrix and was depositing the money into Swiss bank accounts.



Didn't get along too well with his first bass player Noel Redding. According to different sources, Redding felt he was being unfairly side-lined when it came to contributing songs for the Experience band. Eventually, Hendrix's manager Mike Jeffrey decided to remove Redding from the band.



Hendrix's band from the end of 1969 only lasted a matter of weeks and precisely 4 gigs. Allegedly, Hendrix's management weren't interested in the new group - called "Band of Gypsys" - and sabotaged a gig that was due to take place in Madison Square Garden.



Hendrix always maintained that his father was rather strict with him during his childhood. The future guitarist was taught never to speak unless spoken to and to respect his elders.



Thanks to the Jimi Hendrix Estate, previously unheard recordings have been officially released on both C.D and Vinyl. These range from rare studio recordings to whole concerts.



From about the middle of 1969 onward, Jimi Hendrix began winding down his regular display of showmanship during concerts. Where as before he would set fire to his guitar and smash it on the stage, he simply focused on the music in question and little else.



In spite of all the fame and success, Hendrix was described as being a fairly shy, personable young man and having a good sense of humor.



He and Chas Chandler went their separate ways in 1968, following a few disagreements about working methods in the recording studio. Where as Hendrix enjoyed experimenting and jamming, Chandler firmly believed that the resulting song should be no longer than 4 or 5 minutes.



Was busted for drug offenses in 1969 and went to trial as a result. In court, Hendrix was acquitted of all charges.



Was on very good terms with fellow musician Eric Clapton. Just before Hendrix passed away, Clapton had just bought him a left-handed Fender Stratocaster.



Had his own recording studio built for him in 1969. Named "Electric Ladyland," the whole task took longer than expected. This was due to Hendrix having to go on tour to pay for the construction, with work on the studio being suspended for the time being.



Even with some of today's guitarists, Jimi Hendrix remains somewhat of an enigma with regards to his overall musicianship.



Began to take playing the guitar more seriously whilst serving in the Marines.



Enjoyed reading science fiction and would incorporate various elements of this into his songs.



His appearance at the Isle of Wight music festival was marred by having to work with poor sound equipment.



Was a self-taught musician and never took a formal guitar lesson.



Was on very good terms with bass player Billy Cox.



Back in the day before the internet and mobile phones, Hendrix's arrival in London spread quickly via word of move until his fellow guitarists came to see Hendrix play.



A series of letters and diary entries from Hendrix, were used for the feature length documentary "Voodoo Child.".



Hendrix's death is still the subject of much discussion, regarding how he passed away. Some believe his manager Mike Jeffrey had a hand in his death and other reckon it was an accidental death.



Jokingly referred to Noel Redding's band Fat Mattress, as "Empty Pillow.".



At school, the future guitarist was known for being a painfully shy child, especially with girls.



For most of his career, the Fender Stratocaster was Hendrix's preference. However, he did use other guitar models.



At the time when Hendrix was honorably discharged, the U.S army was about to be drafted into Vietnam.



When asked how it felt to be considered the greatest guitarist, Jimi Hendrix replied: "I don't know, you had better ask Rory Gallagher.".



To this day, the Jimi Hendrix estate continue to release previously unavailable recordings of the guitarist.



Along with Redding and Mitchell, Hendrix the touring schedule of 1968 to be particularly grueling. Throughout the year, the band only had 6 days off work.



In 1969, Hendrix was supposedly captured and held hostage by the Mafia. However, this is thought to have a stunt pulled by Hendrix's manager Mike Jeffrey.



Close friends and colleagues stated that Jimi Hendrix had two passions in his life: music and women.



As a school student and being rather shy, Hendrix was often encouraged by classmates to pursue girls.



His childhood was described as "poverty-stricken," with the young Hendrix having cast-offs for clothing.



By the time he was recording his third album, the guitarist has begun experimenting with different sounds, chord changes and music styles etc. This quickly became a permanent fixture whilst working in the recording studio.



According to various sources, Jimi Hendrix requested for his funeral that his friends and family dance to his music during the church service. If true, this request wasn't carried out on the day in question.



In the early 1960s, Hendrix formed a band by the name of the Kasual Kings.



Reportedly disliked working for Little Richard during Hendrix's "chitlin circuit" days, on account of the singer's meanness with paying his musicians their salary.



His manager Mike Jeffrey has remained something of a shadowy figure in the history of Jimi Hendrix. It has been rumored that Jeffrey was conning Hendrix out of the majority of his earnings.



It has been alleged that during the days Jimi Hendrix was backing Little Richard, that the singer had a crush on the guitarist.



In an interview with the whole Experience band in 1968, Hendrix admitted that he was growing eager to play different songs during concerts, rather than the usual numbers.



Returned to the family home for a special visit in 1968. It had been several years since Hendrix last visited Seattle, his father marking the occasion by wearing a two piece suit and tie - something he rarely did.



Had poor eyesight but seldom wore glasses in public.



Was initially reluctant to perform at Woodstock, until manager Mike Jeffrey applied some pressure on him. This alleged happened in a house located somewhere in upstate New York, where Hendrix and Jeffrey were having a private one-to-one meeting.



Never saw himself as being a singer of any kind.



Black audiences had a difficult job in identifying with any of Hendrix's music, as it didn't resemble soul music.



Upon making an impact on the London music scene in 1966, it has been said that the likes of Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Jeff Beck were slightly awe-struck by Jimi Hendrix.



Very little footage exists of Hendrix supporting the Isley Brothers but a brief clip does exist in the archive.



During the general turmoil of the late 1960s in America, concerts held by Jimi Hendrix tended to result in violence.



Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell were among those present at Hendrix's funeral.



Personal Quotes (6)

I will be dead in five years' time, but while I am here, I will travel many highways and I will, of necessity, die at a time when my message of love, peace and freedom can be shared with people all over the world.



Once you're dead, you're made for life.



When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.



I can't express myself in any conversation... But when I'm up on stage, it's all the world. It's my whole life.



I'd like to get something together, like with Handel, and Bach, and Muddy Waters, flamenco type of thing... If I could get that sound, I'd be happy.



I want to do with my guitar what Little Richard does with his voice.

