Jimi Hendrix Experience > Poster Art

Four years was all it took. In a short 1460 days, a scrawny southpaw with a gypsy's soul and hands like catcher's mitts indelibly changed music forever. Johnny Allen Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, WA. Hendrix's love affair with mus...more

Four years was all it took. In a short 1460 days, a scrawny southpaw with a gypsy's soul and hands like catcher's mitts indelibly changed music forever. Johnny Allen Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, WA. Hendrix's love affair with music was consummated at 15, when he bought a cheap acoustic guitar from a friend of his father. Due to trouble with the law, Hendrix joined the army, which, by all accounts, he hated. Hendrix gained swift discharge and decided to try his hand at music. After an unsuccessful tenure in Tennessee, Hendrix relocated to New York, where he was spotted by Chas Chandler. The former Animals bassist was hoping to reinvent himself as a talent manager. Once he saw Hendrix perform "Hey Joe," Chandler knew he found his talent. The aspiring manager took his prodigy to London, and hooked him up with local musicians Noel Redding (bass) and John "Mitch" Mitchell (drums). In early 1966, the line-up was set, under the moniker "The Jimi Hendrix Experience." In 1967, the trio created arguably the greatest debut in rock history, Are You Experienced. Produced by Chandler at De Lane Lea, their blend of psychedelic rock and blues captivated music fans and critics. Featuring all-time classics, such as "Foxy Lady" and "Fire," the disc set an almost unfathomable standard for what rock music should be. Hendrix's acrobatic, face-melting leads punctuated his soulful voice, while Mitchell and Redding's rock-steady rhythm section provided a sturdy backdrop to Hendrix's prodigious talent. Hendrix also demonstrated the rare ability to mix virtuosic guitar leads with intricate, melodic rhythm guitar work. Though his career was cut short by a fatal cocktail of sleeping pills and red wine, Hendrix achieved an almost incomprehensible amount in merely 27 years on earth and four years in the business. He released two more groundbreaking studio albums, 1967's Axis: Bold as Love and 1968's Electric Ladyland, as well as a explosive live album with his short-lived side band, the Band of Gypsy. As evidenced by scores of young guitarists trying their damndest to work out "Purple Haze" and his ubiquity on "Best Of All-Time" lists, Hendrix's legacy and influence remains strong decades years after his death. Read more about Jimi Hendrix in Crawdaddy!: "Jimi Hendrix 1968" "Hendrix Graffiti"...less