Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle Washington in 1942 .He got his first guitar when he was around 15 years and taught himself to play. Following a troubled childhood, the early death of his mother and petty crimes he was given the choice to go into the army or to prison. He chose the army and served in the 101 airborne division.
After discharge, Jimi Hendrix and army friend Billy Cox formed a band and started making a living. By 1963, they were playing the “chitlin circuit” clubs that featured black artists that toured the southern states. Tiring of this, Jimi Hendrix moved to New York in 1964, joining bands and doing session work for established acts such as such the Isley brothers, Little Richard and Ike and Tina turner.
Jimi Hendrix got his big break when he met Linda Keith, Keith Richards then girlfriend. She introduced Jimi to wannabee impresario Chas Chandler who was looking for an act to manage. Liking what he saw, Chandler bought Jimi Hendrix to London where he became an almost overnight success. Chandler helped find fellow band members bass player Noel Spedding and drummer Mitch Mitchell and the Jimi Hendrix experience was born.
The Jimi Hendrix experience released their first album “Are you Experienced” in 1967 and toured Europe and the UK to great success.
Further albums followed: “Axis Bold as Love” and the final Experience album” Electric Ladyland” was released in 1969.
Jimi Hendrix returned to the USA in 1967 to appear at the Monterey pop festival in a celebrated performance to great acclaim. This was the concert where he first set his guitar alight! Following the festival, Jimi Hendrix played in the USA, supporting the Monkees before being thrown off the tour because of his suggestive stage act.
The Jimi Hendrix experience broke up in 1969 after a last appearance at Denver pop festival. However, Jimi Hendrix was booked to appear at Woodstock pop festival and his band now featured old friend Billy Cox on bass, Mitch Michell on drums, old friend Larry Lee on rhythm guitar and a precussion section. The band was introduced as the Jimi Hendrix experience but jimi corrected this to “Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, for short it’s nothin’ but ‘A Band Of’ Gypsies”.
Jimi Hendrix made his final appearance at a UK festival at the Isle of Wight in August 1970, before the band started a European tour. The final gig was at a pop festival in Fehmahn Germany where Jimi was booed by fans for refusing to play in rain and risk the danger of electrocution.
Jimi Hendrix’s final public appearance was an impromptu jam session at Ronnie Scotts in London on the 17th September 1970. He returned to his girlfriend Monika Dannemann’s flat in the early hours of the morning and was found dead next day. It was believed he had overdosed with sleeping tablets and subsequently choked on his own vomit. There has been much controversy about the series of events leading up to his death, and whether suicide or suspicious circumstances.
Jimi Hendrix continues to delight and fascinate each new generation of guitar players. His unmistakeable style and technical brilliance makes him widely regarded as the being the World’s best and most influential guitarist.