Jimi HendrixThe Jimi Hendrix Experience

ChildhoodBorn James Marshall Hendrix in 1942

Influenced by:

B. B. King

Muddy Waters

Howlin' Wolf

Buddy Holly

Robert Johnson

Father bought him a guitar at 16 and he was constantly playing.

Army

1961 - Hendrix enlists in the U.S. Army. He was faced with that or jail after getting being caught joyriding in a stolen car

1962 - completed paratrooper training and became a member of the Screaming Eagles parachute division

Was discharged after about a year due to an injury

Formed a band in the Army that occasionally performed on the base.

Post - Army

Hendrix became a session/backup guitarist known as "Jimmy James"

Played for Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Ike and Tina Turner, amongst others.

1964 - leaves for New York to start his own band, the Blue Flames and plays in the Greenwich village clubs

Starts to experiment with distortion and feedback, and quickly gets a buzz in the local scene.

Chas Chandler, bassist from The Animals sees him live and signs a management contract while convincing him to move to London.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Chandler recruited drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding to join Jimi

1967 - band releases first album, Are You Experienced

Many rock stars of the time became fans including Clapton, The Stones, and Beatles

Mixed sounds of blues, R & B, Rock, and Psychedelia

Quickly became successful in US and made a landmark performance at the 1967 Monterrey Pop Festival

Hits from 1967

Hey Joe - First single

Purple Haze

The Wind Cries Mary

Foxy Lady

Fire

Axis: Bold as Love

Released in 1968

Hendrix started to take more control over the music and production

Built a studio called Electric Lady studios in New York later in 1968

Hits include:

Spanish Castle Magic

Little Wing

Castles Made of Sand

Electric Ladyland

Released in 1969

Double LP

The pressures of touring and writing this new album lead to the band breaking up in 1969

Many consider this to be his greatest work

Hits include:

Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Crosstown Traffic

Gypsy Eyes

All Along the Watchtower

Woodstock and Beyond

Performed as a group called Gypsy Sun and Rainbows with Mitch Mitchell, bassist Billy Cox, and others

Performed famous version of the Star-Spangled Banner

After Woodstock, Hendrix started a new group with Cox and Buddy Miles called Band of Gypsys

1970 - Hendrix brings back Mitchell and reforms the Experience with Billy Cox on bass

Group started recording another album which was eventually released in 1997 - First Rays of the New Rising Sun

Death

Died on September 18, 1970 in the UK

Highly debated causes for death

Choked on his own vomit in his sleep

Some claim he was murdered by men hired by his manager, Mike Jeffrey

He had been drinking red wine and took many sleeping pills

Legacy

Pioneered distortion, fuzz, and wah-wah pedal use in rock music

Influenced funk, rock, metal, and experimental guitarists everywhere

Changed the way guitarists improvised

Continues to be popular and influential to this day