American musician, singer and guitarist who became a rock superstar. His first major popularity came to him in England before his fame swept America, particularly in the hippie rock culture.
Woodstock was a highly successful event for him, with his appearance a gigantic success. A great talent, Hendrix was seduced by fame, sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, dying young at 27.
Born in Seattle, Hendrix said of his home town, “Don’t bury me in Seattle, it’s too cold and damp there.” Nonetheless, that is where he is buried. When he was eight years old, he had been enchanted by the music and singing at the Dunlan Baptist Church in Seattle but he was thrown out because wasn’t dressed suitably. He vowed never to go into that church again as long as he lived. His funeral services were held there.
His father, Al Hendrix, a musician and landscaper, said his son was like a scientist, “…always experimenting and discovering new ideas.” His experimenting resulted in his first album with the redefined sounds of the electric guitar in 1967, “Are You Experienced?”
Between 1963 and 1965, he toured with and played sessions for many R&B stars, including King Curtis, Ike and Tina Turner, the Isley Brothers, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Solomon Burke and Little Richard.
Hendrix moved to England in 1965 where he began pioneering new musical genres such as metal and fusion before they were characterized by those names. Within a year of linking up with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell to form the “Jimi Hendrix Experience,” he was cutting gold albums and selling out international tours.
In 1969, he formed the “Band of Gypsies” where he began to publicly support the political struggle of blacks, American Indians and Vietnam veterans. Known to be unmaterialistic, Hendrix owed thousands of dollars at his death. His father eventually found sound management for his son’s estate and it now makes more money than it did when Hendrix was alive. Hendrix is considered to have been years ahead of his time, accounting for his posthumous success.
Hendrix was officially a New York resident in September 1970 though he was negotiating with his girlfriend to buy a London apartment. Before the deal was closed, he spent his last days doing drugs and drinking heavily.
Hendrix died in the early morning hours of 18 September 1970 due to suffocating from the inhalation of vomit due to barbiturate poisoning. He had swallowed nine of his girlfriend’s sleeping pills. The coroner could not determine whether it was suicide or accidental poisoning.
Link to Wikipedia biography