Questions
What was Jimi Hendrix’s real name and where was he from?
He was born Johnny Allen Hendrix on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. He grew up to become one of the most influential electric guitarists in rock history.
How did Jimi Hendrix first learn to play guitar?
Reportedly he found a one-string ukulele in the garbage in 1957 and taught himself by mimicking Elvis Presley songs. He got his first acoustic guitar for $5 at age 15, and the first tune he learned was the TV theme "Peter Gunn."
Is it true Hendrix was left-handed but played a right-handed guitar?
Yes. He was left-handed and famously played right-handed guitars flipped upside down and restrung, which became part of his signature look and sound.
Was Jimi Hendrix ever in the Army?
Yes. He enlisted on May 31, 1961, and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was discharged in June 1962 after superiors reportedly noted he had "no interest whatsoever in the Army."
How did Hendrix get his big break?
Reportedly Linda Keith spotted him performing at the Cheetah Club in May 1966 and referred him to Chas Chandler, former bassist of The Animals. Chandler brought him to London in September 1966 and signed him.
Who were the members of The Jimi Hendrix Experience?
The band, formed in late 1966, featured Hendrix on guitar and vocals, Noel Redding on bass, and Mitch Mitchell on drums.
What are some of Hendrix’s biggest hit songs?
His hits include "Hey Joe" (UK number 6), "Purple Haze" (UK number 3), "The Wind Cries Mary" (UK number 6), and his cover of "All Along the Watchtower."
Which Hendrix album hit number one?
Electric Ladyland, released October 25, 1968, was his only album to reach number one on the US Billboard 200. It was an ambitious double LP considered his masterpiece.
Why did Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire at Monterey?
At the Monterey Pop Festival on June 18, 1967, he lit his guitar on fire, creating one of rock’s most iconic moments. Reportedly the Los Angeles Times said he "graduated from rumor to legend" after leaving the stage.
How did the guitar-burning stunt actually start?
He reportedly first destroyed a guitar accidentally at a Munich club in November 1966, and manager Chas Chandler decided the "show of violence" should stay. At the London Astoria in March 1967 he set one on fire after a journalist joked, "it’s a pity you can’t set fire to your guitar."
Did Hendrix really play guitar with his teeth?
Yes, it was one of his signature gimmicks, reportedly picked up after seeing Butch Snipes perform that way. He joked, "Down there you have to play with your teeth or else you get shot."
Did Hendrix ever lose a master recording?
Reportedly during the Axis: Bold as Love sessions he left the master tape of side one in the back of a London taxi, forcing the team to remix most of it overnight against a deadline.
What made Hendrix so innovative as a guitarist?
He was a pioneer of guitar feedback and distortion as controlled musical elements, and one of the first to extensively use effects like fuzz distortion, the Octavia, the wah-wah pedal, and the Uni-Vibe.
When did Jimi Hendrix die?
He died on September 18, 1970, in London, England, at age 27. The cause was barbiturate-related asphyxia.
What honors and recognition has Hendrix received?
The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, an institution that described him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music."
