Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitarist in rock history, revolutionized the sound of rock. In 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience rocked the nation with their first album, Are You Experienced?. Hendrix's life was cut short by the tragedy of drugs in 1970, when he was only twenty seven years old. In these three years the sound of rock changed greatly, and Hendrix's guitar playing was a major influence. Jimi was born in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1942. As a young boy, whenever the chance came, Jimi would try to play along with his R & B records. However, music was not his life long dream. At first, the army was. In the late 1950's, Hendrix enlisted in the 101st Airborne Division. After sustaining a back injury during a jump, he received a medical discharge. After his army career came to an abrupt end, he decided to go into the music field. By this time he had become an accomplished guitarist, and was soon to become known as the greatest guitarist ever. Unfortunately, on September 18, 1970 he was found dead in his room from a drug overdose. He was only twenty seven years old. His music has not been forgotten, as it is still popular today. If his addiction had not overcome h

im, he could still be revolutionizing the style of rock today JIMI HENDRIX: A REFLECTION OF A MAN THROUGH HIS MUSIC On November 27, 1942, Jimi Hendrix was born as John Allen Hendrix in Washington at Seattle General Hospital. His childhood was not a privileged one, however, he did indulge himself in one particular way: Jimi loved to play the guitar. At first he played an old acoustic, and later a cheap Silvertone electric, which were both strung for a lefty on a right-handed guitar, one of the defining Hendrix traits (McDermot 24). As a teenager, young Jimi listened to the music which affected his music so greatly later: "'everyone from Buddy Holly to Muddy Waters and through Chuck Berry way back to Eddie Cochrane'". He played in a few bands in high school, but then dropped out before his senior year. After working as a laborer for a few months, Jimi decided that he was not destined for that line of work, so in 1959, he enlisted into the 101st Airborne. Jimi's parents were of mixed descent, with Jimi's family tree had whites, blacks, and Cherokee Indians. Jimi never denied his ethnic diversity, but rather accepted his diversity and publicly allowed it to show through in his music (Redding 38). Jimi said it best in "If 6 was 9" on Axis: Bold As Love when he said "I'm gonna wave my freak flag high." Hendrix' first forays into professional music came after he received his honorable discharge from service in the summer of 1962. His background in R&B, a type of music dominated by black artists at that time, led him to play with many R&B singers from the time, such as Little Richard, King Curtis, Joey Dee and the Starliters, the Isley Brothers, and many others (Platt 68). The development of his own style of music, which would later be displayed at various stages of its evolution in his four completed studio albums, came from an amalgamation of his intimate familiarity with the blues, ethnic background, the years he spent as an R&B sideman, and his exposure to new musical styles and scenes. The development of Hendrix' music to our modern perception of it occurred after his move to New York City and the formation of Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, where a young producer named Chas Chandler discovered his act, which by then included Hendrix' famous playing with his teeth and behind his back. Chandler brought Jimi to London, where blues-based bands such as John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds, and Chandler's old group, The Animals were immensely popular and on the cutting edge. Hendrix and Chandler auditioned a number of musicians to be in the new band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and decided upon a trio with Hendrix on guitar and vocals, Mitch Mitchell on drums, and Noel Redding on (Moriaty 86). The first album was recorded and released as Are You Experienced? on May 12, 1967 in England and after its initial success there, it was released on August 26, 1967 in the United States. On Are You Experienced?, Hendrix shows for the first time in a studio album the heavy bluesy-rock and extraordinary guitar playing that Chandler observed a of in Greenwich Village. However, the album definitely has a commercial feel to it, probably necessitated by Chandler's desire to collect on his investment and Jimi's lack of experience in being the leader of a band. Of the single "Hey Joe," which was the first song recorded for Are You Experienced?, Hendrix said: "It's a commercial record,...but everyone found that better for the first time. It's just a phase, it's only a very small part of us" (Welch 109). On the other hand, another track on the album, "Red House," represented something else entirely. "Red House" is a more traditional blues number, written by Jimi Hendrix, which is a perfect example of what Jimi began his musical experimentation with. Jimi showcases his blues guitar playing and singing on "Red House." The lyrics tell the story of a man who loses his woman but who manages to keep his guitar, and if his woman won't love him any more,

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Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page double spaced)