Jimi Hendrix: The Axeman of Axemen

Article by Seshlin Naidu

Influence is defined by the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or
behaviour of someone or something or the effect itself. Now I’m going to list off a bunch
of names. Stop me once you see the pattern. Eric Clapton. Jeff Beck, Mötorhead, Living
Colour, Prince! Yes. That’s right. Sounds like a damn good night of partying but also
these are some of the greatest musicians of our time and they all have one thing in
particular in common. They were all I paired by the Axeman of Axemen, Jimi Hendrix.
Born Johnny Allen Hendrix in 1942 on the 27 th of November, Jimi is at the beginning of
every line concerto your favourite guitarist. At the age of 5, Jimi began playing the
guitar. Years later and a brief stint im the army later, Jimi would work his way playing
gigs on the Chitlin’ Circuit in Tennessee. He played for the likes of the Isley Brothers,
Litttle Richard and Curtis Knight and the Squires! In the late of 1966, Jimi moved to
good Ol’ England. He’d soon form his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The band
was made up of Noell Redding on the bass and on the sticks was Mitch Mitchell with the
front man being Adam Sandler. Okay obviously it was Jimi himself but you bought it for
a second. Their success includes 3 UK Top 10 hits, Hey Joe, Purple Haze and The
Wind Cries Mary.

Inspired by American rock and roll as well as electric blues, Hendrix’s music had
immense passion and creativity. Jimi’s creativity is seen specifically in his favour in use
of overdriven amplifiers with high volume and gain. Fuzz, distortion, octavia, wah-wah
and uni-vibe were all brought to mainstream rock and roll by Hendrix. It’s not to say that
Hendrix was the only one to try new things, in fact many tried but none could make
music like Hendrix.
Senora “Nora” Rose Moore and Bertran Philander Ross Hendrix welcomed their son,
James Allen Hendrix on June 10 th 1919. Al was he was known would live a life that
would bring him to 1941’s Seatle Washington where upon he met the lovely Lucille
Jeter. They married with haste on March 31 st 1942. In November 27 th 1942, Seatle
Washington saw the arrival of one Johnny Allen Hendrix. The first of five children. 1946,
Hendrix’s parent changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix in honour of Al and his
late brothe 46 Leon Marshall.

At the time of Jimi’s birthday, Al was stationed in Alabama. He was unfairly denied the
allocated time offered to men in service for child birth. Afraid he’d go AWOL, Al’s
commanding officer placed him in the stockade. Al was there for 2 months, locked up
with no trial in sight. He received a telegram notifying him that his son had been born.

3 years would pass and Al hadn’t met his son, Lucille struggled to raise Hendrix. He was mostly taken care of by family friends and family. Specifically Delores Hall and Dorothy Harding. September 1 st 1945. Al received an honourable discharge from the US Army. 2 months would pass and Al was unable to find Lucille. He’d journey to Berkly, California and find Mrs Champ, a family friend who had kept Hendrix under her care and even tried to adopt him. This would be the first time Al saw his son.
Instability at home and a troubled youth would see Jimi presented with a choice. Go to prison or join the army. He joined the army. He enlisted on the 31 st of May 1961. The army isn’t reputed for being a heaven on a cotton candy pillow but somehow Jimi found it even harsher. He’d find a kind of peace when at his request, his father sent him his guitar.

His love for his guitar meant he’d often neglect his tasks which resulted in taunts
and physical abuse from peers. One day Billy Cox, a fellow serviceman walked past and
heard Jimi playing and described it as a combination of John Lee Hooker and
Beethoven. Cox would borrow a bass and the two would jam out and play at base clubs
on the weekends with other musicians in a not so confirmed but kind of confirmed band
called, The Casuals . With a continued rise in interest in playing music and continued
decrease in interest in his service, Jimi was granted a general discharge under
honourable conditions.

At the age of 27 in September 18 th 1970, Jimi Hendrix passed away in London England.
Monika Dannemann, the only witness to Hendrix’s final hours had said they shared a
bottle of wine around 11pm then she drove him to an acquaintances house at 1:45am.
He as there for an hour before Monika picked him up and drove him back to her flat at
about 3am. She said they spoke till about 7am and fell asleep. When she woke up at
11am she found Hendrix breathing but unconscious and unresponsive. An ambulance
made it’s way to Hendrix but at 12:45pm on September 18 th , Jimi Hendrix was declared
dead by Dr John Bannister. A post-mortem examination was conducted on the 21 st of
September by Robert Donald Teare and concluded Jimi Hendrux aspirated on his own
vomit and died if asphyxia. It was revealed by Dannemann that Hendrix had taken 9 of
her prescribed Vesparax.

Some things were never meant to last. No matter which way you look at it, our time on
this planet is far too short. Death comes for us all no matter what. It does not
discriminate. Its in us to do the most with what we have. Hendrix in my opinion did. His
name echoes in every conversation about rock and roll. When you talk about the
greatest guitarist of all time, the conversation starts and ends with Jimi freaking Hendrix.

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