Jimi Hendrix
"My goal is to be one with the music. I dedicate my whole life to this art."-Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendix was born in Seattle on November 27, 1942. His Parents divorced in the early fifties, after which Hendrix was brought up by his father, Al.
As a child Jimi was obsessed with his father's jazz and blues record collection. In his teens Hendrix was consumed by the rock 'n' roll played on local
radio stations. Al noticed Jimi's obsession and bought him a cheap guitar. He learned by playing along with the radio, and he soon started playing in
local bands. In May 1961 Jimi enlisted in the army as a paratrooper, but was discharged with an injury a year later. He soon returned to his music, and became aware of a new kind of music, in
which the revolutionary Bob Dylan stood out. In 1966 Hendrix formed a band, and began to learn to sing. This band became known as The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
He then traveled to London, (while he was there he changed the spelling of his name to Jimi) his first performance blew the crowd away.
"The times I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice. You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar." -Jimi Hendrix
Later in 1968 "The Experience" broke up because of personal differences. By 1969 Jimi had formed a new band for Woodstock. This band was called The Band of Gypsys.
Their first album was released in 1970, unfortunatly the same year as Jimi's death. On Thursday September 17, Jimi decided to take some pills to help him sleep.
The next morning Hendrix was found in a pool of vomit, unconcious. By the time an ambulance arrived he was already gone. The pills had so relaxed his lungs,
that Hendrix had suffocated. The night before his death Jimi had been working on a song, called "The Story of Life". The closing lines were:
The Story
of life is quicker
than the wink of an eye
The story of love
is hello and goodbye
Until we meet again...
"There can only be one Jimi Hendrix. The demons informing his music were personal and intense; impossible to immulate."
The Dark Memorial
Back
