Silenced – by a gorgeous genius

ON OCTOBER 1, 1966, Cream were playing a college gig at the Central London Polytechnic when they agreed to let a promising young guitarist from New York accompany them on stage. His name was Jimi Hendrix. He joined the band for a version of Howlin’ Wolf’s Killing Floor, which Eric had recently succeeded in mastering after some effort. Now he had to watch the gorgeous stranger in a scarlet military jacket perform it with nonchalant ease.

Hendrix’s manager, Chas Chandler, would later recall: ‘Halfway through the song, Eric stopped playing.

‘Both his hands dropped down to his sides, then he walked off stage. I ran back to the dressing room and he was standing there, trying to light a cigarette with his hand shaking.

‘He said, “You never told me he was that f ****** good.”’