According to Experience bassist Noel Redding, Hendrix told him it was about Hendrix' girlfriend in high school, Betty Jean Morgan. Jimi's brother, Leon Hendrix, also felt that it was about Betty Jean, but also included her sister Maddy, although their house was brown. Shadwick suggests that the song was inspired by Linda Keith, Keith Richards' then-girlfriend and early Hendrix supporter. Keith referred to her friend's Manhattan apartment, with its red velvet walls and decor, as the "red house", and the two frequently stayed there during the summer of 1966. In London in 1970, Hendrix met up with Keith and when he performed "Red House" at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, he dedicated the song to her and added "I got to get out of here, because my Linda don't live here no more" to the lyrics. However, Billy Cox, longtime friend and bassist for Hendrix' post-Experience groups, explained, "As far as I know, 'Red House' didn't have any significance in reference to a particular person, place, or thing. It was just a blues number that Jimi put together".