Jimi Hendrix was born on November 27th, 1942, in Seattle. He was to become maybe the most influential and praised guitarist in the history of rock'n roll. As a self taught, he spent hours and hours learning innovative styles of southern blues guitar legends, such as B.B.King and Robert Johnson. At age of seventeen, he joined Rocking Kings, but soon enlisted as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division. In the Army Jimi met Billy Cox, forming King Casuals with him. Angle broken and released from service he started to perform as a backup musician for many famous rhythm and blues artists like Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and The Impressions. In 1966 he was discovered by the former Animals bassist Chas Chandler while playing at the stage with his new band, Jimmy James And The Blue Flames. Becoming co-manager with Mike Jeffries, Chas persuaded Jimi into moving London. There Jimi formed a band with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In December they released their first single "Hey Joe", which reached UK top ten. Also their debut album, including major hits like |
"Red House", "Fire" and Foxy Lady", was a great success. The following albums, Axis Bold As A Love and Electric Ladyland culminated Hendrix's unique and groundbreaking guitarstyle. In succeeding years Jimi made several unforgottable performances like in Monterey(1976), where he torched his guitar as a sacrificial rite to please the gods of rock'n roll, and in Woodstock, turning the Star Spangled Banner to noisy and tearing torture of his own beloved Fender Stratocaster. In Woodstock he was in a short living compilation, Band of Gypsys, which broke up just after three concerts. In 1969 at the Isle Of Wight festival, Jimi made his last performance. He died a month later. Death was caused by suffocation due to inhalation of vomit. After Jimi's death about 100 posthumous releases have come out, including Voodoo Soup (1995), an attempt to reconstruct First Ray of the New Rising Son - the album Hendrix was working on at the time of his death. As people say, there's no end to the businessmen's greed. |
Realaudio examples of Jimi Hendrix's guitarplaying |
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Bluesy solo in |
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Fantastic rhythmic |
Here's a real classic! |
Are You Experienced? |
1967 |
Axis: Bold As Love |
1967 |
Electric Ladyland |
1968 |
Smash Hits |
1969 |
