Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall Hendrix † (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970 [aged 27]), better known as Jimi Hendrix, was an American musician. He was considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, but his recognition only spanned for four years until his death in 1970. Hendrix has been most famous for playing at Woodstock in 1969.
==Early life==
Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1942. His ancestry was African American, Native American, and Irish. His paternal grandparents were Bertran Philander Ross Hendrix, a grain merchant, and Zenora Rose Moore, a dancer and vaudeville performer. Hendrix was the fifth child born to Lucille Jeter and James Allen Hendrix. James served with the United States Army during World War II and was stationed at Alabama. James wanted to return home to see the newborn son, but was denied a furlough waiver, and would be deterred if he committed desertion. As James continued to serve with the army, Lucille struggled to raise her children. Hendrix was mostly cared for by family members and friends, especially Lucille's sister Delores Hall and her friend Dorothy Harding. After being discharged from the army in 1945, James went to Berkeley, California, where he finally got to see Hendrix for the first time when someone named Mrs. Champ was caring for him.
James along with the young Hendrix reunited with Lucille, but his inability to find steady work left the family impoverished. The two would develop an addition to alcohol, which often led to altercations while intoxicated. The ensuing quarrels would often drive Hendrix into withdraw as he hid in the closet to avoid exposure. The family moved out of their home and stayed at an apartment somewhere in Seattle. In 1951, when Hendrix was nine years of age, his parents divorced, and James took custody of him.
As a student at Horace Mann Elementary School, Hendrix would often pick up a broom and use it like a guitar, which garnered the attention of his social worker. After more than a year of clinging onto a broom, his social worker wrote a letter to the school, suggesting to give funds to underprivileged children. James disapproved of this, and did not want to purchase a guitar for his son.
In 1957, while Hendrix was helping his father with a side job by removing trash from a neighbor's house, he found a ukulele. The neighbor told Hendrix that he could keep it, but it only had one string. Hendrix began playing notes with the instruments by listening to various songs by Elvis Presley. On February 2, 1958, Hendrix's mother, Lucille Jeter passed away at age 33 after battling cirrhosis in the liver area where the spleen ruptured. James did not to bring himself or Hendrix to the funeral, and instead, both had shots of whiskey, which served as an instruction to how men should deal with losses in life. Hendrix completed his studies at Washington Junior High School and later attended Garfield High School, but did not graduate.
At age 15, Hendrix purchased his first acoustic guitar for $5. He played for several hours daily, taking lessons influenced by Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson. In 1959, while attending a concert by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters in Seattle, Hendrix met the group's guitarist Billy Davis. Davis showed him a few guitar techniques, and the two jammed together. Hendrix eventually formed his first band called The Velvetones. Three months into the formation, the sound wasn't loud enough for the whole group, which prompted James to relentlessly purchase a Supro Ozark for Hendrix. Hendrix did his first gig at Temple De Hirsch in Seattle, but was kicked out for showing off too much. He then joined the Rocking Kings, which played professionally at venues such as the Birdland club. When his guitar was stolen after he left it backstage overnight, James purchased him a Silvertone Danelectro.
Before turning 19 years of age, Hendrix was busted twice for riding in stolen cars. Given the choice between the military or prison time, Hendrix enlisted with the Army in 1961. After completing eight weeks of basic training at Fort Ord, California, Hendrix was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Hendrix wrote a letter to his father, telling him that military service isn't panning out for him, so James decided to send the Silvertone Danelectro he got for his son over to him to ease his burden. His excessive time playing with the guitar led to neglect of his required military service, which often led to taunting and physical abuse from his peers, who at least once hid the guitar from him until he had begged for its return. In November 1961, fellow serviceman Billy Cox walked past an army club and heard Hendrix playing. Impressed by Hendrix's skills, Cox borrowed a bass guitar, and the two jammed. Within weeks, they began performing at base clubs on the weekends with other musicians in a loosely organized band, The Casuals.
Hendrix eventually completed his paratrooper training and, on January 11, 1962, Major General C. W. G. Rich awarded him the prestigious Screaming Eagles patch. By February, his personal conduct had begun to draw criticism from his superiors. They labeled him an unqualified marksman and often caught him dozing off while on duty and failing to report for bed checks. On June 29, 1962, Hendrix was granted a general discharge under honorable conditions. Hendrix later spoke of his dislike of the army and that he had received a medical discharge after breaking his ankle during his 26th parachute jump. However, no Army records have been produced that indicate that he received or was discharged for any injuries.
==Music career==
===Early recordings===
When returning home to Seattle, Hendrix met Butch Snipes of King Kasuals. Snipes showed how to play the guitar with his teeth, a technique that Alphonso Young, the band's secondary guitarist, also learned how to do. After a few jam sessions, Hendrix easily learned the technique. Hendrix briefly joined King Kasuals, and the band performed at obscure places. After a few gigs near the Nashville, Tennessee area, King Kasuals performed at Club del Morocco. By January 1964, Hendrix left King Kasuals and felt that it was time to venture on his own. He them moved to Hotel Theresa in Harlem, New York City, New York, where he met Lithofayne Pridgon, who later became his girlfriend.
In March 1964, Hendrix collaborated with the Isley Brothers to do their song "Testify", but did not make the charts. Two months later, Hendrix collaborated with Don Covay for his song "Mercy Mercy", which reached #35 on the billboards. Hendrix went on a tour with the Isley Brothers, but by the end of October 1964, he became burnt out after playing the same set every night, thereby leaving the group. In February 1965, Hendrix collaborated with Little Richard for his song "I Don't Know What You Got (But It's Got Me)". The song reached #92 on the billboard for one week only. Meanwhile, Hendrix met Rosa Lee Brooks while staying at the Wilcox Hotel in Hollywood. Brooks invited Hendrix to collaborate with her songs "My Diary" and "Utee", which was penned by Arthur Lee. The songs failed to make the charts, but Hendrix and Lee began a relationship, which spanned for years.
In July 1965, Hendrix made his first television appearance on Night Train. Hendrix collaborated with Little Richard again by doing the song "Shotgun". The collaboration lasted a few episodes for the show, but tension between Richard and Hendrix ensued due to tardiness and fashion disputes. Richard's brother, Robert decided to send Hendrix away after on-stage antics hampered one performance. Hendrix then collaborated with the Isley Brothers again, with two songs being "Move Over and Let Me Dance" and "Have You Ever Been Disappointed". Later, Hendrix joined a New York-based R&B band, Curtis Knight and the Squires, after meeting Knight in the lobby of a hotel where both men were staying. Hendrix performed with them for eight months. After departing, he signed a three-year deal with entrepreneur Ed Chalpin. The relationship with Chalpin did not pan out very well, but the contract still remained intact, which foreshadowed legal and career problems for Hendrix.
Feeling seemingly inexperienced with the R&B genre, Hendrix moved to Greenwich Village in 1966, which had a vibrant and diverse music scene. There, he was offered a residency at the Cafe Wha? on MacDougal Street and formed his own band that June, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, which included future Spirit guitarist Randy California. The Blue Flames played at several clubs in New York City and Hendrix began developing his guitar style. In September, they did some of their last concerts at the Cafe Au Go Go in Manhattan, as the backing group for singer and guitarist then billed as John Hammond.
===Are You Experienced===
Between October 23rd, 1966 and April 7th, 1967, Jimi recorded his first solo album called "Are You Experienced". The songs on this album are Purple Haze, Manic Depression, Hey Joe, Love Or Confusion, May This Be Love, I Don't Live Today, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Third Stone From The Sun, Foxey Lady, Are You Experienced?, Stone Free, 51st Anniversary, Highway Chile, Can You See Me, Remember, and Red House. This album was released on May 12th, 1967.Jimi Hendrix' album Are You Experienced, Wikipedia. Accessed 13 September 2024.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Experienced
== References ==
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