Hendrix 2 Essay Research Paper Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix 2 Essay, Research Paper

Jimi Hendrix: Rock ‘n’ Roll Legend

The extraordinary performances, recording, and lyrics of James Marshall Hendrix have

made him impossible to forget. This American rock guitarist made a legendary mark. Not

only in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, but also on pop culture as a whole (Mitchel1 32). With

unique techniques never seen before and blatant sex-related performances on stage, he

became one of the most influential music figures of the 60s (Murray 96).

Hendrix was not born into stardom nor was it given to him by any means. He strived all

throughout his life to be the very best. Johnny Allen Hendrix was born on November 27,

1942 in Seattle, Washington to Al and Lucille Hendrix. Four years later did his father

decided to change his son’s name to James Marshall Hendrix. He did not lead an easy life.

He changed schools quite often and to top it all off his parents divorced in 1958. To add

to it all, his mother died just one year later ( Scuse Me While , Henderson 42). Hendrix

needed something to turn around his life.

Hendrix purchased his first guitar in 1958. It was a used acoustic for which he paid only

five dollars. At the age of seventeen with only one year’s playing experience, he joined his

first band, the Rocking Kings. It may be hard to imagine, but Hendrix was also in the

Army for a brief period of time. He was soon discharged as a result of “medical

unsuitability” after a parachuting accident in which he landed on his ankle ( Scuse Me

While , Henderson 48). He ventured back to his hometown of Seattle and began playing

with Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers (Mitchell 68). Hendrix was then quickly

discovered by Little Richard in 1963. He soon regretted the decision because he felt the

tour was degrading, and he was constrained as being a sideman to Richard. His guitar was

used as little more than a background rhythm instrument. Hendrix developed his playing

talent and soon discovered how to gain control and take lead of the music. Unfortunately,

he was never able to get Richard to realize his talents, so he abandoned Richard’s tour in

St. Louis (Mitchell 102). After aimlessly wandering for awhile, Hendrix found himself in

Atlanta and once again teamed up with Little Richard. The tour brought them to Los

Angeles where he then went in his own direction. He hooked up with Richard for a third

time during the summer of 1964 to record an album. He again felt confined as being only

a backup to Little Richard (Mitchell 123).

Hendrix later joined the budding musician Arthur Lee, but the partnership did not last

long as he once again set out in search of his own identity (Mitchell 68). He embarked as

a traveling musician for various tours backing such artists as Ike and Tina Turner, Muddy

Waters, Elmore James, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, King Curtis, Solomon Burke, Chuck

Jackson, Jackie Wilson, and several others (Carter 75). On his next endeavor, he teamed

up with saxophonist Lonnie Youngblood. The pair was short-lived as Hendrix soon split,

and his adventurous spirit ended him up in New York where he rented a small, cheap

apartment and drifted from job to dead-end job (Dannemann 173). Hendrix was a

discombobulated mess. He was running around trying to find himself. His attempts were

taking him in and out of bands.

The spring of 1964 brought better luck to Hendrix. Ronnie Isley of the Isley Brothers

hired him on the spot as lead guitarist after hearing him play. He lived with the group for

a few months, and they actually purchased him his first Fender guitar (Hendrix 236). The

band toured in 1964 and also released some albums. Hendrix was still dissatisfied with his

situation. He grew tired of the group and left the Isleys to join Curtis Knight and the

Squires (Hendrix 153). Not long had the group been playing in the New Jersey area when

Keith Richard, guitarist for the Rolling Stones, caught a glimpse of the stand out guitarist

and wanted to help the young, developing musician. He brought Hendrix to the attention

of important music industry people (Carter 98). On October 15, 1965, Hendrix signed his

first recording contract with Ed Chalpin and PPX Productions in which he was paid a

single dollar and promised one percent royalty on all future record sales (Carter 112).

He formed his dynamic rock band on October 12, 1966 and called it the Jimi Hendrix

Experience, a name that will never be forgotten. The peculiar spelling of his name was of

his manager’s invention. In the group, Hendrix jammed on lead guitar; Noel Redding

played bass, and Mitch Mitchell played drums (Loveless 65). The trio was comprised of

three very different personalities, but Hendrix led them in their eccentric hair and dress

styles, wild stage behavior, and most of all, the unprecedented music the group delivered

to their public (Murray 119). It seemed as if Hendrix, in all his radiance, actually

stimulated the other members

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