Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer who is widely considered to be the most important electric guitarist in the history of music. Although Hendrix is known for his outstanding ability to play the guitar, he is also a very famous name in Blues music. He played the acoustic guitar but is known for his outstanding ability to play the electric guitar. With songs such as Red House, Here My Train A Comin', and Born Under a Bad Sign, Hendrix is considered to be in the Chicago category and quickly made his way into the history of Blues music.

James Marshall Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle Washington. James faced a somewhat difficult childhood as he was faced with many obstacles. His mother named him John Allen Hendrix at birth and played a dominant role in the early years of his life. His father, Al Hendrix, was busy fighting in WWII at the time. In 1943, young James' mother became sick with alcoholism and was sent into a rehab center. James was then sent to live with his grandparents in Berkely, California. After two difficult years of living with his relatives, his father returned from WWII and renamed Johnny to James Marshall Hendrix. His father quickly divorced his alcoholic mother who later died in 1958. Years passed and Jimi continued living with his father and attending grade school. His father introduced him to the guitar at age 13 and taught him how to play. James grew fond of playing but never pursued it as a child. In 1959, Jimi was expelled from high school because of poor behavior. With nothing to do, Hendrix got into trouble with the law for stealing a car with his friends. He was given the choice of spending two years in jail or enlisting in the army. Jimi enlisted in the US Army. But being in the army for Jimi did not last long due to laziness and sleeping on duty. Rumors have it that Hendrix dropped out of the army because he faked being a homosexual along with breaking his ankle on a training mission. With a tough childhood, Jimi was finally maturing and becoming a man.

As Jimi Hendrix matured, he turned to his guitar skills when nothing else was working for him. He joined a blues and rhythm circuit that traveled around playing at different restaurants in Nashville. Jimi was only a sideman and was making only a little money, if any at all. Hendrix was sick of being a sideman and decided to move to New York City to try and make it big. Being unfamiliar with New York City, Hendrix met Fanyne Pridgeon, a local Harlem native. She and Hendrix grew close over the years as she introduced him to other musicians such as the Allen twins. The Allen Twins played a big part in Hendrix's early career as the pushed him to succeed because they knew that he had talent. Because of the help of the Allen twins and Fayne Pridgeon, Hendrix won his first prize in the Apollo Theater. Later on, Jimi met a man named Curtis Knight who was the lead singer of Curtis Knight and the Squires. Hendrix and Knight quickly became close friends. Knight knew the music industry and helped out Hendrix. Though Knight helped Hendrix, he also hurt him. Knight introduced Hendrix to Greenwhich Village. This is where all the music was, but that's not all. Marijuana, Cocaine, and pep pills were all introduced to Hendrix and became apart of his daily life, as he was an avid abuser of these drugs. He played in many clubs before hooking up with John Hammond Jr.'s band. Joining Hammond Jr.'s band gave Hendrix a lot of experience and exposure to the music industry. Not long after being in the band the Animals' bassist, Chas Chandler, approached Hendrix and convinced him to move to London. In London, Chandler became Hendrix's manager and helped him form The Hendrix Experience. This new group consisted of Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, and Noel Redding. The Experience consisted of R&B with a little eclectic pop variation of psychedelia. His new group quickly became popular in London earning top ten spots on the UK Top Ten with songs such as Red House and Born Under a Bad Sign. With success in the UK, The Hendrix Experience had yet to see stardom in the US.

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