The Extraordinary Jimi Hendrix

The extraordinary performances, recording, and lyrics of James Marshall Hendrix have made him impossible to forget. This American rock music guitarist made a legendary mark not only in the history of rock 'n' roll but also on the pop culture as a whole (Ross 32). With unique techniques never seen before and blatant sex-related performances on stage, he became one of the most influential music figures of the 60s (Kamin).

Hendrix was not born into stardom nor was it given to him by any means. He strived all throughout his life to be the very best. Johnny Allen Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington to Al and Lucille Hendrix, and not until four years later did his father change his son's name to James Marshall Hendrix. He certainly did not lead an easy life with his sporadic schooling and his parents' divorce in 1958. Added to the building pressures, his mother died just one year later ("Jimi", Rolling 42).

Hendrix purchased his first guitar in 1958, probably to relieve tensions as it was the same year his parents divorced.

It was a used acoustic for which he paid only five dollars. At the age of seventeen with only one year's playing experience, he joined his first band, the Rocking Kings. It may

be hard to imagine because of his image, but Hendrix was also in the Army for a brief period of time. He was soon discharged as a result of "medical unsuitability" after a parachuting accident in which he landed on his ankle ("Jimi", Rolling 42). He ventured back to his hometown of Seattle and began playing with Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers (Wolters, "Pre-Experience").

He seized the opportunity to go on the road after being discovered by Little Richard in 1963 but soon regretted the decision because...

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...-seven years old. He became ill from a mixture of wine and

quinalbarbitone, a sleeping pill prescribed not to Hendrix but to his girlfriend (Wolters, "Discography"). When the ambulance was called, they rushed to his London hotel and dashed him back to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The attendants had carelessly laid him on his back; as a result of their ineptitude, he asphyxiated in his own vomit ("Jimi", Rolling 94).

Fortunately, the tragic death of this young man came after rather than before he had contributed so much to the rock 'n'roll era of the 60s. Not only did he inspire black musicians to persevere in their careers, but he also influenced the entire pop culture with his unprecedented music and stunning performances.

In the eyes of many Americans, the legendary rock music guitarist Jimi Hendrix will live on forever (Kamin).