Debauchery, vices, guitar: the tragic fate of the virtuoso Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle on November 27, 1942 to Ed Hendrix and Indian Lucille Jeter. His mother named him Johnny Allen, but his father, returning from the front, renamed the baby James Marshall. Very soon, the name was shortened to Jimi.

In 1951 my father left my mother and left, and seven years later my mother passed away. Jimi was 15 at the time and living with his grandparents. The death of his mother marked him a lot. Then he became interested in music and, after saving some money, bought his first guitar for $5.

The returning dad forced the guy to play with his right hand, despite Jimi being left-handed. He didn’t resist, but when no one saw him, he turned the guitar around and played in a way that suited him. It became one of the hallmarks of his game.

Hendrix started playing in local bands. At the same time, he was in the business of petty theft and once stole a car. Thanks to a good lawyer, the prison was replaced by the army. But he served only a few months and, having been wounded, was demobilized.

After the army, he moved to New York and under the pseudonym of Jimmy James began to accompany the stars of the time, including Tina Turner and Sam Cooke.

In 1966 Hendrix founded a group bearing his name – The Jimi Hendrix Experience. He was both a singer and a guitarist. The group quickly gained popularity and Jimi’s virtuoso playing became known throughout America. Soon the recordings also reached Europe. Hendrix himself moved to London with girlfriend Katie Itchingham and in 1967 recorded two music albums.

Hendrix ended up in hospital several times with burns to his hands after setting his guitar on fire during a performance. It became part of his signature style, even though it cost him his health.

In 1967, Hendrix became addicted to drugs, they helped him cope with the burden of fame. In an altered state, he organized pogroms in hotels, beat women and behaved defiantly. As a result, the band actually broke up and he moved back to New York and opened his own recording studio, Electric Lady.

In May 1969, Jimi nearly ended up in jail when heroin was found in his suitcase. The musician was released on bail, but his already bad reputation was badly damaged.

That same year, Hendrix performed to great acclaim at the legendary Woodstock Festival as part of the hastily assembled Gypsy Sun and Rainbows.

The following year was full of performances, recordings and standing ovations. The last time Hendrix performed at a festival in Germany was on September 6, 1970.

The life of a virtuoso musician ended on September 18, 1970 in a London hotel, when he was only 27 years old. He became the third of seven members of “Club 27” – musicians who died at that age under strange circumstances.

His girlfriend, Monika Dannemann, said he took 9 sleeping pills. Then the musician vomited and choked. Monica called an ambulance, but Jimi couldn’t be saved. The investigation revealed many inconsistencies: it is believed that by the time the ambulance was called, Hendrix had already been dead for 4 to 5 hours. However, his girlfriend was never held responsible.

Jimi was buried in the United States, although he wished to remain in England and wrote it in his will. The creative legacy of Jimi Hendrix – over 350 musical recordings and numerous videos. Some music critics consider him the most talented guitarist of all time.

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