THE SETTING: Horace Mann Elementary School, Seattle, WA (Mid-1950s)
Hendrix's habit of carrying a broom with him to emulate a guitar gained the attention of the school's social worker. After more than a year of his clinging to a broom like a security blanket, she wrote a letter requesting school funding intended for underprivileged children insisting that leaving him without a guitar might result in psychological damage.
Flash forward 20 years:

Jimi Hendrix
An American musician, singer and songwriter.
b. November 27, 1942
d. September 18, 1970 (27 years old)
Having lived such a short life, he was in the mainstream for only four years (1966-1970). See his full chronology by clicking here. He made such a significant impact in that short span of time.
Jimi Hendrix Interview--The Dick Cavett Show
DESPITE a limited mainstream exposure of four years, he is widely considered one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most important musicians of the 20th century.
MUSICAL INFLUENCES
OF Muddy Waters, the first guitarist Hendrix became aware of, he said: "I heard one of his records when I was a little boy and it scared me to death because I heard all of these sounds."
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| MUDDY WATERS |
I don't happen too know much about jazz. I know that most of those cats are playing nothing but blues, though—I know that much.
—Hendrix on jazz music
Elvis Presley, Little Richard and
Chuck Berry Muddy Waters, Elmore James and B.B. King Eddie Cochran Muddy Waters
Jimmy Reed, Albert King. Howlin' Curtis Mayfield
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| ELVIS PRESLEY |
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| CURTIS MAYFIELD |
VIDEOS
Early career playing in the US playing back-up for Buddy and Stacey and the Upsetters, May 1965
UK: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Jimi Hendrix and the Experience
His showmanship and virtuosity made instant fans of reigning guitar heroes Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, as well as Brian Jones and members of the Beatles and the Who, whose managers signed Hendrix to their new record label, Track Records.
When Track records sent the master tapes for "Purple Haze" to Reprise for remastering, they wrote the following words on the tape box: "Deliberate distortion. Do not correct." First released in the UK in May 1967, Are You Experienced, reached number 2 in the UK charts. The original version of the LP contained none of the previously released singles or their B-sides.
"The Jimi Hendrix Experience" first TV appearance in Belgium, 1966
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"The Jimi Hendrix Experience" UK TV appearance, 1969
Although very popular in Europe at this time, the Jimi Hendrix Experience had yet to crack the United States.
Their chance came when Paul McCartney recommended the group to the organizers of the Monterey International Pop Festival. This proved to be a great opportunity for Hendrix, not only because of the large audience present at the event, but also because of the many journalists covering the event who wrote about him.

His Rock Hall biography states "Jimi Hendrix was arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music. Hendrix expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar into areas no musician had ever ventured before. His boundless drive, technical ability and creative application of such effects as wah-wah and distortion forever transformed the sound of rock and roll." Musicologist Andy Aledort described Hendrix as "one of the most creative musicians of all time."
Jimi Hendrix Interview--The Dick Cavett Show
Performing at Woodstock
































































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