HENDRIX BROTHER ON LEGEND
He’s still the man & a special cat, say stars Fire stunt nearly had House Burning Down
Jimi had to go and find clean socks. Then he got a gig at Birdland, a big blues joint where he played with Ray Charles. And after that, he got into big trouble.”
Jimi was caught twice riding in stolen cars. The judge offered him the chance to join the army instead of jail – and he ended up as a paratrooper in the elite 101st Airborne, the Screaming Eagles.
But military life didn’t suit him and he left after a year. It was 1962.
Jimi later headed for London and never looked back under the guidance of producer and manager Chas Chandler.
Leon went on: “He loved London. He found it similar to Seattle. The same kind of feeling... rain, sunshine, rain, sunshine. Jimi called London home.”
Hendrix became the world’s highest paid rock performer. But his introverted character meant he had to force himself Electric Ladyland and Both Sides of the Sky THE Hendrix legacy is alive and kicking 48 years after his death.
A vast catalogue of unreleased material led to 64 posthumous albums being released – including Both Sides of the Sky this year.
He died without a will and his estate has grown to an estimated £130million. Hendrix himself once said: “Once you’re dead you’ve got it made.”
Fellow music giants remain in awe of Hendrix and albums like the 1968 classic Electric Ladyland. Guns N’ Roses legend Slash said: “Jimi’s still the man. He was that great.”
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards said: “Everybody else just screwed it up and thought wailing away is the answer. But it ain’t. You’ve got to be a Jimi to do that, one of the special cats.”
Sir Paul McCartney added: “When he picked up that guitar he was just a monster.”
And Eric Clapton recalled playing with Hendrix then telling Jimi’s manager Chas Chandler: “You didn’t tell me he was that f***ing good.” HENDRIX came to life on stage, says his brother Leon – and the legend certainly knew how to make a big impact.
For Jimi, smashing guitars wasn’t dramatic enough. In 1967 he decided to ignite his act for the first time at the former Astoria, Finsbury Park – but the London gig didn’t go according to plan.
After ending one set with Fire, his guitar was doused in lighter fuel and Jimi lit the match. The instrument went up with a whoomph and Jimi needed hospital treatment for burns to his hands.
He repeated the scene at the Monterey Pop Festival. When his Fender Stratocaster burned somewhat tamely this time he picked it up and smashed it on the stage until it broke in half.
Hendrix reportedly achieved legendary status in the bedroom too. His love of groupies led him to meet Cynthia Albritton, who liked to take plaster casts of rockers’ manhoods.
Hendrix was the first to oblige and it is believed no subsequent casting left as big an impression. Purple Haze. But everyone wanted to hear it. Same The Mirror’s goes for all the awards and Page One after Hendrix died gold and platinum discs. He threw them in the closet. He thought they were stupid.”
By the time Hendrix put together Electric Ladyland in 1968, he was an obsessive perfectionist. He even hated the cover, a blurred photo of his head. And he considered the inside picture of 19 naked women to be embarrassing.
The album, featuring All Along the Watchtower, reached No1 in the US. It was to be Jimi and the band’s last studio album – while he was alive. Many more have since been released.
Barely a year after Electric Ladyland’s release, Jimi was headlining the Woodstock festival in upstate New York, where he featured his unique rendition of the to enjoy playing in front of big audiences. “He didn’t like large crowds because he was so timid and shy,” Leon explained.
“But eventually he got into them. Jimi loved music, that’s it. He didn’t love fame. In fact, he was happiest when he made 100 bucks a week and had a girlfriend and a raggedy car. He would call home and we could hear his joy.
“As he got more famous he was limited in what he could do, he had to sneak away to play the way he wanted to. A concert to Jimi was only a warm-up, he wanted to be playing music with his friends at home.
“He didn’t like playing Foxy Lady and Purple Haze all the time. They got stagnant for him and he wanted to play new material. He was really fed up with Star Spangled Banner. He had apparently put reservations about groups of nude women aside – reportedly retiring to bed with seven naked groupies.
In August 1970 he topped the bill at the Isle of Wight Festival. And 18 days later he was dead.
Jimi was found unconscious in the West London flat of on-off German girlfriend Monika Danneman after taking too many barbiturate sleeping pills.
Leon found out about Jimi’s death in jail – after going AWOL from the army.
He said: “My name came over the loudspeaker telling me to report to the chaplain. I was stunned by his death.
“But his music is still with us. People ask me about carrying on his legacy and I say his legacy is already there, in history for as long as man can hear music.”