Who Was Jimi Hendrix?

Few Have Accomplished More In Such A Short Time

From age ten to my 30s my view of Jimi Hendrix was simplistic and one dimensional. He was an incredible guitarist, a drug addict, and man who rarely engaged with black America. This view was the narrative of general media for most of my life. Over the last ten years I have learned a great deal more about Mr. Hendrix. Not surprisingly some of this information is inconsistent with the image/brand that others established for him.

Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington, was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter who revolutionized the electric guitar's role in popular music. Renamed James Marshall Hendrix by his father, Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. His early influences included blues legends like B.B. King and Muddy Waters. After a brief stint in the U.S. Army, he worked as a backup musician for notable acts such as Little Richard and the Isley Brothers. In 1966, he moved to London, where he formed the Jimi Hendri…