Vinyl of the Week - 20 September 2020

Are you Experienced, The Jimi Hendrix Experience

On 18 September 1970, 50 years ago this week, the world woke up to news of the passing of one of the rising stars of the music scene. Jimi Hendrix had been found dead in his London flat from a suspected overdose at age 27. This week I wanted to pay homage to Jimi - one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Born in Seattle in 1942, Johnny Allen Hendrix spent his childhood in the care of various family and friends, his parents unable to provide a stable home. Eventually his father was granted custody but they moved constantly and just survived, with his father struggling to find work. Jimi’s passion for music was ignited when his grandmother started taking him to church. His obsession grew when he discovered Robert Johnson, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters and Bessie Smith. One evening, Jimi and his brother Leon went to see Little Richard at a Baptist church. He had recently given up music to become a preacher and Jimi was so impressed by his performance he resolved to become a musician and become rich and famous. He started playing an old acoustic but convinced his dad to buy him a real guitar. It was just a cheap Supro electric but Jimi couldn’t be separated from it. He soon became known for his guitar prowess and played with many artists including Tina & Ike Turner, Little Richard, The Isley Brothers, Curtis Knight & Wilson Picket. But Jimi wasn’t satisfied with being a backing guitarist. He was a showman and wanted to do his own thing. So he went to London. Invited by Clapton to play with Cream, he stole the show. He just did things with a guitar that had never been done before. In fact he is credited as a major influence by so many guitarists, past and present. When I listen to his music, I imagine Jimi in his vintage military jacket performing with his band in a smoky London club. In the audience, the likes of Clapton, the Stones, or the Beatles bearing witness to his magic. He status as a guitar god has steadily increased in the years since his death and we can only imagine where he would have taken his art form. RIP Jimi, you were truly one of a kind and will never be forgotten - DS