Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix by Roxanne McDonald
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You can not care as much as others about guitarists or rock and STILL respect the sheer perfection that is Jimi playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, proliferating experience with “Purple Haze,” or making his Les Paul sing to a “Foxy Lady”. |
Some biographical points to highlight Hendrix:
Played his first instrument, a broomstick, as a kid, until he received his first guitar at 12.
When his mother died when Jimi was 16, he went to live with grandmother.
Was expelled from high school, which Jimi had attributed to holding hands with his then white girlfriend (though the principal would later say it was because of poor grades and too many absences).
Instead of graduating high school, Hendrix was already on tour with local bands to local and faraway sites.
Ride-alongs [twice] in stolen vehicles left Jimi with the option of jail or the military. He chose the military. Reportedly, he was considered a “sub-par” [Wikipedia] soldier, sleeping on duty, showing poor marksmanship, and showing less than respect for the rules and regs. The latter saw him getting early dismissal.
Co-formed the band, The King Casuals, and moved to Nashville.
After his first live studio session, Hendrix’s “wild and undeveloped” sound was cut from the recording.
Low-paying gigs, little acclaim [or possibilities for it], racist tenor of the south, and extreme penury made Hendrix decide to move to New York.
In Harlem, made friends with Arthur and Albert Allen, twins who would “keep him out of trouble”; and Lithofayne “Fayne” Pridgeon, who would offer a place to stay, encouragement, support, and her connections—which not only saw her as his girlfriend later on but also inspired him to enter an amateur contest at the Apollo, where he won first prize.
At one “auditioning” gig, at a Greenwhich Village club, as Hendrix played, Les Paul [yes THE Les Paul] listened and watched. Having to leave to do some personal errand, Paul made sure to return as quickly as possible—to sign Hendrix. When he returned, the club owner said Hendrix was gone, as he had turned away the “too wild and crazy and loud” musician. Hendrix had all but “disappeared”.
Hendrix began his touring professionally with The Isley Brothers, moving on to play with Gorgeous George Odell and then back-up for Little Richard—where he would come up against his idol for his frequent late showing, his wild manner of dress, and, again, for his stylized stand-out playing.
Quitting Little Richard and going to Ike and Tina Turner, he was sent packing by them for the same wildness of solo playing.
Though he returned to Little Richard, when he missed an all-important tour bus departure time [leaving for a gig in Washington, D.C.], he was fired.
For another year (64-65), Hendrix would play with other bands, forming his own band—Jimmy James and the Blue Flames—in 1966.
On his way up the fame ladder to #1 on most top guitarist lists today (Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Times list included), Hendrix would meet such greats as Frank Zappa, who purportedly introduced him to the wah-wah; Eric Clapton, The Beatles, and The Who, all who were fans of Hendrix and who assisted/contributed to in some way his first recordings.
Hendrix is known best for being the best. But he is also remembered and talked about for a few other classic, singularly Hendrix moments—among them Jimi being the first guitarist to set his guitar on fire; Jimi being so antithetical to the Monkees he opened for that though he quit the gig a “journalist” named Lillian Roxon would manufacture a story that he was ousted in response to protests by the Daughters of the American Revolution; Jimi getting arrested for heroin and hash as he made his way through an airport; Jimi getting kidnapped by “mobsters”; and Jimi playing the “Star-Spangled Banner” in such a profoundly unique way that his interpretation, alas, was misinterpreted, of course.
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Hendrix was definitely the man. Great article.
J
Comment by I love Les Pauls!!! — July 29, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
Thanks for the comment/compliment, J. I agree Jimi was the supreme rocker. He is the only reason I wish I were OLDER…that I might have had the honor of seeing him perform live.
Respectfully,
RM
Comment by Roxanne — August 8, 2007 @ 12:32 am