Things You Never Knew About Jimi Hendrix
September 24, 2018
Jimi Hendrix was a magician who could make an electric guitar tell tales that no one before or after him have been able to. He was marvellously skilled and were he still living, he would have been in his late 70's.
Now, here are a few things you never knew about the greatest man who ever struck a guitar string!
1. Life and Times: Jimi Hendrix popped into this world in 1942 on 27th November. He was originally named John Allen Hendrix assumed the name he would become famous for at the suggestion of his manager Chas Chandler.
2. Father Knows Best: Jimi Hendrix owes a large part of his later fame to his doting father. James "Al" Hendrix bought his then 15-year-old son an acoustic guitar and a year later an electric guitar by the name of Supro Ozark 1560S.
3. GI Hero: He was a high school dropout. In May 1959, our hero joined the Screaming Eagles' Airborne Division stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Rather than being shipped out to the Vietnam war or the like, he was lucky enough to break his ankle while parachuting and was given a medical discharge.
4. Jimi The Entertainer: using the name Jimmy James, Jimi Hendrix performed as a session guitarist and by the mid-1960's had worked with such entertainers as Isley Brothers, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner. He parted ways Richard under acrimonious circumstances, as the latter felt that Jimi's flash attire drew too much fan attention.
5.Jimi the Player: Jimi Hendrix normally preferred the Fender Stratocaster, but would occasionally try his hand at the Gibson SG, Les Paul and a Flying V. More rarely, he would play the Fender Duo-Sonic and the Fender Jazzmaster.
6.Jimi And the Brits: on the 24th of September 1966, Jimi Hendrix and Chas Chandler stepped foot in Britain, as Jimi was then desperate to play with British guitarists that he considered to be a cut above the rest. He met Eric Clapton through Chandler and shortly after Jimi, Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker all went on stage for a jam so good it was rumoured it made the devil cry!
7. Jimi The Showman: Jimi Hendrix was quite the showman and the crowds ate up every bit of his tricks. These involved his playing the guitar behind his back, using his teeth and making sweet music pour forth without apparently touching the strings. As for his playing his Fender Stratocaster upside down, that was no stage trick but was rather since he was left-handed.
8. Jimi The Priest: According to Hendrix, since music was his religion, his music was to be known as "electric church".
9. Miles Up Hendrix: Jazz master Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix were nominally friends, but the relationship was less than smooth during the final months of Hendrix's life. While the two came close to collaborating, it never panned out. Still, Hendrix is credited with inspiring Miles to abandon the classical jazz he was previously wedded to and roam free in records like "On the Corner" and "Bitches Crew".
10. Microsoft Loves Jimi: Seattle native Paul Allen who happens to be the co-founder of Microsoft is one of the more ardent Hendrix fans you can find. Since Seattle had no place for paying homage to its greatest departed son, he proposed a Hendrix Museum be in the Seattle Center. While Jimi's father was totally behind this, the relationship between the Hendrix family and Allen collapsed. So, the museum became the very expensive Experience Music Project designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.
11. Oh, America: Woodstock 1969 was iconic for other matters apart from the "Hang Loose and Love Not War" crowd. Here, Jimi Hendrix sang the Star-Spangled Banner anthem as a protest against the Vietnam war. Disregarding the concerns of his manager who feared the performance might spark a riot, he resolved to let the world know how he felt about the war and the state of American society. Rightfully, his performance has become a moving and unforgettable part of American history.
12. Jimi, Oh Jimi: Exactly how and why Jimi Hendrix died is still a hot subject of debate. He left for the great beyond on September 18, 1970 and was with a 25-year old lady at the time by the name of Monika Dannemann. According to the post-mortem reports, he had vomited while sleeping and choked to death, having overdosed on Vesperax, a sleeping pill that was Monika's. Jimi took the pills because he was unable to sleep and rather than the normal half tablet took nine.
By this time in his life, Jimi was notorious for mixing drugs and alcohol in whatever quantity he desired. Indeed, his girlfriends at the time had gotten used to their being awoken to his gasps for breath and their being obliged to clear his blocked windpipe. However, Monica apparently lacked any capacity to render help and so Jimi died aged twenty-seven.
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