Jimi Hendrix - Biography - IMDb Jimi Hendrix Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Trade Mark (7) | Trivia (51) | Personal Quotes (5) Overview (5) 5' 11" (1.8 m) Mini Bio (1) 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 which 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 Afro and thin moustache Trivia (51) Backed Little Richard and The Isley Brothers before being "discovered" by Chas Chandler of The Animals in 1966. 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 #1 hit 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. Stepbrother of Janie Hendrix . 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. Died at 27 years old, making him a member of the "27 Club"; The 27 Club is a group of prominent musicians who died at the age of 27.

Other members include The Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones , singer Janis Joplin , The Doors frontman Jim Morrison , Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse . 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. Hendrix - Baby Boy Name Meaning and Origin | Oh Baby! Names Hendrix Successful Etymology & Historical Origin - Hendrix Hendrix is a surname stemming from Henry. The name Henry comes from the ancient Germanic personal name Heimirich from the elements “heim” meaning “home” and “rīc” meaning “ruler, power”. By the Middle Ages Heimirich was changed to Heinrich and the French adopted the name as Henri.

The Norman-French brought the name to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 – in fact, the first of the eight King Henrys to rule over England ascended the throne in 1100 (King Henry I was William the Conqueror’s own son). There were a total of four French Kings named Henri and seven Heinrichs who ruled the Kingdom of Germany during the Middle Ages. Obviously, the “Heinrich” names were widespread and extremely common throughout Europe by the 11th century. Due to the popularity of this personal name, several patronymic surnames developed from it, as well. Harrison and Harris are examples of surnames which were borne from Harry (another English form of Henry). The surname Hendrix is more German and Dutch – from Hendriks, another Northern European form of Henry. Of course, interest in the name Hendrix is more likely musically driven, as in honor of famed American electric guitarist Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970). Hendrix’s ancestry was mixed on his father’s side (African-American, Cherokee Indian and Irish).

His paternal grandfather was the illegitimate result of a union between an African-American woman (Fanny Hendriks) and her wealthy white employer (Bertran Philander Ross) – so the Hendrix family name ultimately passed from the female. Can you imagine that Jimi Hendrix could have been named Jimi Ross? Doesn’t fit. Funny how things work out. Popularity of the Name Hendrix Hendrix is one of the latest surnames to hit the Top 1000 list of American baby boy names, debuting on the charts just the other day in 2011. About 20% of the masculine names currently in circulation in the United States are surnames turned into forenames. Hendrix is yet another example of the surname craze in America. However, we have also seen surnames pop up that, like Hendrix, are embedded in American music history. Presley (as in Elvis) is an obvious example of this, but so are Jackson (Michael), Marley (Bob) and Parker (Charlie). Not to mention some imports from overseas like Lennon (John) and Jagger (Mick).

The very talented Jimi Hendrix died from apparent asphyxiation in 1970; a life tragically cut short at the age of 27, depriving fans (especially guitar fans) of his musical genius far too soon. Popularity of the Boy Name Hendrix You need Adobe Flash Player 6 (or above) to view the charts. It is a free and lightweight installation from Adobe.com. Please click here to install the same. Cultural References to the Baby Name - Hendrix Literary Characters of the Baby Name Hendrix Hendrix We cannot find any significant literary characters with the first name Hendrix. Popular Songs on Hendrix From Hank to Hendrix - a song by Neil Young Jimi Hendrix Dildo - a song by The Residents The return of Jimi Hendrix - a song by The Waterboys Children's Books on the Baby Name Hendrix Hendrix on Hendrix: Interviews and Encounters with Jimi Hendrix (Steven Roby) - A L.A. Times Non-Fiction Hardcover Best Seller.

Hendrix on Hendrix includes the most important interviews from the peak of Jimi Hendrix’s career, 1966 to 1970, carefully selected by one of the world’s leading Jimi Hendrix historians. In this book Hendrix recalls for reporters his heartbreaking childhood and his grueling nights on the Chitlin’ Circuit. He jokes with the judge and the jury on the witness stand, telling them that the incense in his bag was for hiding bad kitchen odors. He explains to an American TV audience that his concept of “Electric Church Music” is intended to wash their souls and give them a new direction. And in his final interview, just days before his death, he discloses that he wants to be remembered as not just another guitar player. In addition to interviews from major mainstream publications, Hendrix on Hendrix includes new transcriptions from European papers, the African-American press, and counterculture newspapers; radio and television interviews; and previously unpublished court transcripts—including one of the drug bust that nearly sent him to prison. Though many respected books have been written about Hendrix, none have completely focused on his own words. This book is as close to a Hendrix autobiography as we will ever see.

Recommended for ages young adult and older. Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix (Gary Golio) - Jimi Hendrix was many things: a superstar, a rebel, a hero, an innovator. But first, he was a boy named Jimmy who loved to draw and paint and listen to records. A boy who played air guitar with a broomstick and longed for a real guitar of his own. A boy who asked himself a question: Could someone paint pictures with sound? This is a story of a talented child who learns to see, hear, and interpret the world around him in his own unique way. It is also a story of a determined kid with a vision, who worked hard to become a devoted and masterful artist. Jimi Hendrix--a groundbreaking performer whose music shook the very foundations of rock 'n' roll. Recommended for ages 6-9. Famous People Named Hendrix Famous People Named Hendrix - We cannot find any celebrities or significantly famous people with the first name Hendrix. Children of Famous People Named Hendrix Famous People Who Named Their Son Hendrix - We cannot find any celebrities or famous people who have named their child Hendrix.

Hendrix - Boy Baby Name - Historic Figures James Marshall Hendrix (27 Nov 1942 - 18 Sep 1970) - Jimi Hendrix was one of the most important and influential popular musicians of the twentieth century, who crammed a great deal of living into his (almost) 28 years. Skyrocketing to fame after appearing at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, we went on to headline at Woodstock in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. He is credited with popularizing the use of the wah-wah pedal and stereophonic effects in recordings, as well as highly amplified feedback. He received numerous music awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously, and was named by Rolling Stone as “the greatest guitarist of all time”. Jimi Hendrix died a drug-related death in London; he is buried in Seattle.

Search Baby Names Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix Cause of death: Accident - Overdose Remains: Buried, Greenwood Memorial Park, Renton, WA Gender: Male Executive summary: Purple Haze Military service: US Army (1961-62) The preeminent "guitar hero" to emerge during the 1960s -- as well as being fashioned into the principal deity in the pantheon of celebrity drug casualties -- Johhny Allen Hendricks (soon re-named James Marshall Hendricks and eventually known as Jimi Hendrix) was brought into the world in the city of Seattle, the son of Al Hendricks and his wife Lucille Jeter. Although spending some of his early years living in Vancouver with his grandmother Nora Rose Moore, Jimi was primarily raised by his father following his parent's divorce in 1951, his mother being removed from his life entirely in 1958 as a result of alcohol-induced cirrhosis.

Al recognized and encouraged his son's enthusiasm for music, and provided him with first a ukulele and then a cheap guitar in the months following his mother's death; Jimi subsequently immersed himself in learning the instrument, and joined his first band The Velvetones shortly afterwards. By the summer of 1959 Hendrix had bought his first electric guitar and moved from The Velvetones to another local ensemble called The Rocking Kings. Two years later, however, his musical activities were temporarily hindered by a run-in with the law (apparently involving car theft), resulting in 2 years of compulsory service in the Army; a decidedly unenthusiastic soldier, Hendrix completed less than a year of training as a paratrooper at Fort Campbell in Kentucky before breaking his ankle and receiving a discharge. During this period he formed The King Casuals with Army friend Billy Cox, and after leaving the service the pair moved to Nashville, where they became active in the thriving R&B scene centered around the clubs on Jefferson Street. It was here that the guitarist (now using the name Jimmy James) began to establish a reputation for himself, struggling to earn a living as a session and backing musician for acts such as B. B.

King , Sam Cooke , Jackie Wilson and Ike and Tina Turner ; by 1964 he had relocated to New York and expanded his resum� to include work with King Curtis, The Isley Brothers and Curtis Knight. After working as part of Little Richard 's backing band in 1965, Hendrix formed Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, assuming the role of both lead guitarist and singer for the first time. The band's appearances on the Greenwich Village circuit quickly brought its dynamic frontman to the attention of fellow musicians such as Frank Zappa , session player Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and -- most significantly -- former bassist for The Animals Chas Chandler, who would sign Hendrix to his new management and production agency the following year. Chandler then moved the guitarist to London, altering the spelling of his first name to "Jimi" and helping him to organize a backing band: the result being a trio called The Jimi Hendrix Experience , featuring former guitarist for The Loving Kind Noel Redding on bass and jazz drummer Mitch Mitchell. The Experience's impact on the London music scene was immediate and significant, with Hendrix himself earning the admiration of the leading British rock musicians of the time.

Making their entrance onto the music charts with the single Hey Joe in December of 1966 and then following with Purple Haze, The Wind Cries Mary and their debut full-length Are You Experienced in 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience quickly positioned themselves as one of the leading acts of the late 1960s, the hype generated by the records magnified by Hendrix's stage persona -- which included such visual theatrics as playing his guitar with his teeth or behind his head, and then setting it on fire and destroying his amplifiers at the end of the set. His appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival (instigated by Beatle Paul McCartney ) provided an opportunity for this dramatic display to be captured on film, while also spreading the band's popularity back to the States. A second album, Axis: Bold as Love, was released at the end of the year -- not quite a chart-successful as the first, but containing one of Hendrix's most enduring songs Little Wing.

In 1968 Hendrix moved his base of operations back to New York, establishing his own studio (named "Electric Lady") in order to fully realize his musical ambitions without outside interference (although it would be two more years before work on the elaborate studio was completed). The ambitious double LP Electric Ladyland was issued later in the year, preceded by a single release of an interpretation of Bob Dylan 's All Along the Watchtower. The album was enthusiastically received, becoming Hendrix's first #1 in the U.S.; it would also be the final offering from the Experience, as the guitarist's obsessive perfectionism regarding his music -- combined with increasingly erratic behavior fueled by his drug intake -- had brought an end to his relationship with Redding by the middle of 1969 (manager Chandler having already quit in May of '68). Hendrix assembled the six-piece unit Gypsy Sun and Rainbows immediately afterwards, using them as his backing band for his performance at the Woodstock Festival in August. Not long after Woodstock, Hendrix assembled the trio Band of Gypsys with old Army friend/former King Casuals bandmate Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles.

This line-up endured only until the end of January 1970, but a self-titled live document culled from two performances on New Year's Day was released later in the year, which would become one of his most popular albums. After the departure of Miles, Mitch Mitchell was subsequently brought back into the fold, with the band once again assuming the name The Jimi Hendrix Experience; recordings for what was intended to be another double LP were undertaken in between an active performance schedule, but the sessions were interrupted by a tour of Europe, launched at the end of August with an appearance at the third Isle of Wight festival. Cox was forced to abandon the tour after only a week for health reasons, after which Hendrix decided to spend a short time in London before returning to New York. On the morning of September 18th he was found dead by girlfriend Monika Dannemann, the guitarist having apparently asphyxiated on his own vomit after taking an excess of sleeping pills. His body was subsequently brought back to the States and buried next to his mother in Renton, Washington.

Jimi Hendrix - Guitarist, Songwriter, Singer - Biography.com Jimi Hendrix Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jimi Hendrix delighted audiences in the 1960s with his outrageous electric guitar playing skills and his experimental sound. IN THESE GROUPS “Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel.” “You get tired of playing top 40 R&B. I had other ideas.” “Music is stronger than politics. I feel sorry for the minorities, but I don't feel a part of one.” “I get a kick out of playing [onstage]. It’s the best part of this whole thing.” “I always did like to play loud. The words of the song just come. They mean a lot, but I don’t know how they come out. It starts off very quiet until we get into it.” “I don't want to be a clown anymore. I don't want to be a 'rock and roll star.” “Musicians, especially young cats, they get a chance to make all this money. And they say, 'Wow, this is fantastic.' They lose themselves.

And they forget about the music itself.” “I don't care about starving anymore….I did it before, and I was happy. We have it very nice now. But if I ever lose all that, I'm still gonna be interested in music.” “When I die, I want people to just play my music, go wild and freak out, do anything they want to do.” “I just wish I could sing really nice, but I know I can't sing. I just feel the words out. I just try all right to hit a pretty note, but it's hard. I'm more of an entertainer and performer than a singer.” “My music needs love and understanding. Through music you get more religion than through anything else.” Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix - Mini Biography (TV-14; 5:02) A short biography of Jimi Hendrix who learned to play guitar as a teenager. He grew up to become a rock guitar legend who excited audiences in the 1960s with his innovative electric guitar playing.

Synopsis Born in 1942, in Seattle, Washington, Jimi Hendrix learned to play guitar as a teenager and grew up to become a rock legend who excited audiences in the 1960s with his innovative electric guitar playing. One of his most memorable performances was at Woodstock in 1969, where he performed "The Star Spangled Banner." Hendrix died in 1970 from drug-related complications, leaving his mark on the world of rock music and remaining popular to this day. Little Wings Jimi Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix (later changed by his father to James Marshall) on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. He had a difficult childhood, sometimes living in the care of relatives and even acquaintances at times. His mother, Lucille, was only 17 years old when Hendrix was born. She had a stormy relationship with his father, Al, and eventually left the family after the couple had two more children together, sons Leon and Joseph. Hendrix would only see his mother sporadically before her death in 1958. Jimmy James In many ways, music became a sanctuary for Hendrix.

He was a fan of blues and rock and roll, and with his father's encouragement taught himself to play guitar. When Hendrix was 16, his father bought him his first acoustic, and the next year his first electric guitar—a right-handed Supro Ozark that the natural lefty had to flip upside down to play. Shortly thereafter, he began performing with his band, the Rocking Kings. In 1959, he dropped out of high school and worked odd jobs while continuing to follow his musical aspirations. In 1961, Hendrix followed in his father's footsteps by enlisting in the United States Army. While training as a paratrooper, Hendrix still found time for music, forming a band named the King Kasuals. Hendrix served in the army until 1962, when he was honorably discharged after injuring himself during a parachute jump. After leaving the military, Hendrix began working under the name Jimmy James as a session musician, playing backup for such performers as Little Richard , B.B. King , Sam Cooke and the Isley Brothers.

In 1965 he also formed a group of his own called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, which played gigs around New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood. The Jimi Hendrix Experience In mid-1966, Hendrix met Chas Chandler—bass player of British rock group the Animals—who signed an agreement with Hendrix to become his manager. Chandler convinced Hendrix to go to London, where he joined forces with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell to form the Jimi Hendrix Experience. While performing in England, Hendrix built up quite a following among the country's rock royalty, with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who and Eric Clapton all becoming great admirers of his work. One critic for the British music magazine Melody Maker said that he "had great stage presence" and looked at times as if he were playing "with no hands at all." Released in 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience's first single, "Hey Joe," was an instant smash in Britain and was soon followed by hits such as "Purple Haze" and "The Wind Cries Mary." On tour to support his first album, Are You Experienced?

(1967), Hendrix delighted audiences with his outrageous guitar playing skills and his innovative, experimental sound. In June 1967 he also won over American music fans with his stunning performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, which ended with Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire. Bold as Love Quickly becoming a rock superstar, later that year Hendrix scored again with his second album, Axis: Bold as Love (1967). His final album as part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland (1968), featured the hit "All Along the Watchtower," which was written by Bob Dylan . The band continued to tour until it split up in 1969. That same year, Hendrix performed at another legendary musical event: the Woodstock Festival. Hendrix, the last performer to appear in the three-day-plus festival, opened his set with a rock rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" that amazed the crowds and demonstrated his considerable talents as a musician. Also an accomplished songwriter and producer by this time, Hendrix had his own recording studio, Electric Lady, in which he worked with different performers to try out new songs and sounds.

In late 1969, Hendrix put together a new group, forming Band of Gypsys with his army buddy Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles. The band never really took off, however, and Hendrix began working on a new album tentatively named First Rays of the New Rising Sun, with Cox and Mitch Mitchell. Sadly, Hendrix would not live to complete the project. The Wind Cries Mary On September 18, 1970, Hendrix died in London from drug-related complications. While this talented recording artist was only 27 years old at the time of his passing, he left his indelible mark on the world of rock music and remains popular to this day. As one journalist wrote in the Berkeley Tribe, "Jimi Hendrix could get more out of an electric guitar than anyone else. He was the ultimate guitar player." Related Videos Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information If Jimi Was Johnny: Why Did Al Hendrix Change His Son’s Name?

« 100.7 WZLX Filed Under: Jimi Hendrix , Johnny Hendrix , Matt Dolloff , Music History , Rock History , Rock N Roll Diary Extra FILE- In this 1970 file photo, Jimi Hendrix performs on the Isle of Wight in England. A new Jimi Hendrix album is coming March 5. The musician's website says People, Hell and Angels contains 12 previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1968 and '69. Rolling Stone revealed the album cover on its website Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/file) Would “Purple Haze” or “Hey Joe” have the same impact if the performer’s name was “Johnny Hendrix”? Well, probably… Jimi Hendrix was simply a transcendent guitar player, regardless of his name. But it’s an amusing “What if?” game to just think about how you’d view the man had his name been Johnny.

In fact, that was his real name: Jimi was born Johnny Allen Hendrix on November 27, 1942, and it was on September 11, 1946 that his father Al Hendrix had him renamed James Marshall Hendrix. According to the book Jimi Hendrix: A Brother’s Story by Leon Hendrix, Jimi didn’t like his new name , which is pretty understandable given he’d lived the first four years of his life as Johnny. He’d shout “That’s not my name! My name’s Johnny!” As for the reasons behind Al’s decision to give his son a new name, he’s been quoted as saying he simply “didn’t care for ‘Johnny'”. Having been in WWII when Jimi was born, Al wasn’t consulted about his son’s name, so it’s possible that he really just didn’t like the name – but there’s probably a darker reason behind that. According to the book Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy, Jimi’s mother Lucille Jeter had a history with another man named John Williams (the book notes that “Williams” was not his real surname ).

She had a fling with Williams during her marriage with Al, and it continued even after Al went to fight in WWII. According to Electric Gypsy, Williams confronted Al and Lucille at times, which would be greeted with a punch to the face. Jimi’s aunt also alluded to his mother’s relationship with another man, but she said his name was Johnny Page. Whatever the guy’s last name was, it appears he had a first name that Al had good reason to despise. While Al himself never confirmed his true reasoning for changing his son’s name, it can be assumed that this was it. Had Al not felt strongly enough to change his son’s name, Jimi would have been known forever as “Johnny Allen Hendrix” or perhaps just “Johnny Hendrix”. Safe to say he still would have become a legend, due to his outstanding artistic abilities he displayed from an early age.

Question: What was Jimi Hendrix's middle name?
Answer: Marshall