6 Facts About Jimi Hendrix

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of the world’s legendary rock and blues guitarist, Jimi Hendrix. He died on September 18, 1970, when the autopsy showed that Jim Hendrix died of asphyxia (decreased oxygen levels in the body) due to an overdose of Vesparax (a sleeping pill).

From the statement of Monika Dannemann, someone who was with Jimi Hendrix on the day of his death said that Jimi Hendrix took 9 Vesparax pills. The dose is 18 times the doctor’s recommendation, which only recommends taking half a pill.

Jimi Hendrix was then buried in Greenwood Cemetery near Renton, Washington, United States, which is the location of his mother’s funeral. More than 200 people attended Jimi Hendrix’s funeral, including the likes of John Hammond, Johnny Winter, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, and Miles Davis.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s departure, Supermusic has summarized 10 unique facts about this man whose full name is Johnny Allen Hendrix.

Jimi Hendrix and the United States Army

The first interesting fact about Jimi Hendrix is that he once joined the United States Army. This started when he was not yet 18 years old, Jimi Hendrix was arrested twice by the police for driving a stolen car.

Then, Jimi Hendrix was given the choice of going to prison or joining the United States Army (U.S Army). Jimi Hendrix underwent eight weeks of basic training in the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell.

In a letter that Jimi Hendrix gave to his father, he asked to have his guitar sent to training camp. There he met Billy Cox, who saw his guitar playing. Cox then borrowed an acoustic bass and played with Jimi Hendrix in club boot camp with other musicians.

After eight months, Jimi Hendrix has finally completed his parachuting training. Shortly thereafter, however, his platoon sergeant, James C. Spears honorably discharged him by writing a report that Jimi Hendrix did not meet soldier’s standards.

Jimi Hendrix Left-handed Guitarist

Jimi Hendrix is considered one of the greatest guitarists in the world not only because of his abilities, but also his uniqueness in playing the guitar. Jimi Hendrix is a left-handed guitar player and many think that Jimi plays it backward.

But in reality, Jimi Hendrix stringed his guitar like a left-handed guitar with the low E on the top and the high E on the bottom. It’s this very unique setup that gives Jimi Hendrix that great sound when playing his guitar.

Jimi Hendrix was also known to be able to play the guitar with his teeth. This technique was obtained when one of the blues guitarists, Butch Snipes, played the guitar with his teeth.

Read also: The Best Blues Guitarists of All Time

“He could play in styles that you could previously imagine. He could play tricks like playing the guitar with his teeth and behind his back,” said Eric Clapton when he saw Jimi Hendrix play for the first time in 1966.

Jimi Hendrix Was Kidnapped After a Stage

In a book entitled Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix, written by Charles R. Cross, it is told that Jimi was kidnapped after performing at the Greenwich Village club, The Salvation.

He goes out with a stranger to find cocaine but ends up being held hostage in a Manhattan apartment. Jimi Hendrix’s kidnappers demand that Jimi’s manager, Michael Jeffery, hand over Jimi’s contract in exchange for his release. Instead of agreeing to a ransom, Jeffery hires his own thugs to find him. The kidnappers. Surprisingly, Jimi was found two days later unharmed,” Cross wrote.

“This incident was so strange that Noel Redding (bassist at the Jimi Hendrix Experience) suspected that Jeffery had orchestrated the kidnapping to prevent Hendrix from finding another manager. While others argued that the kidnapping did happen.”

Jimi Hendrix Can’t Read Music

Jimi Hendrix is known as a self-taught musician who, where at first could not read music at all. In fact, he uses words or even colors to express himself by learning to play the guitar by ear.

Jimi Hendrix Becomes Highest Paid Musician at Woodstock Festival

On August 18, 1969, Jimi Hendrix performed at the Woodstock Music Festival at 9 a.m. He played a non-stop set that lasted nearly two hours, during which it became the longest show of his career and the only show he ever played other than at night.

Not without reason the event took place in the morning. Technical and weather problems kept the festival running late the previous day. The audience who attended also decreased from 500 thousand people to less than 200 thousand people on Monday morning when Jimi Hendrix appeared.

Jimi Hendrix had been cleared the previous midnight, but he chose to still perform in the morning. This step made him get paid more than other musicians, which amounted to 125 thousand US dollars.

Tributes to Jimi Hendrix Came from All Over the World

As a famous and famous musician and guitarist of his time, Jimi Hendrix’s departure was a big loss for the world of music. It’s no wonder that decades later, tributes to the late Jimi Hendrix are still pouring in from all over the world.

Jimi Hendrix’s London residence from 1968-1969 was restored in 2016 and built exactly as he lived there and then opened as a museum. In 2018, Congressman Adam Smith of Washington was instrumental in passing a bill to rename the post office in Seattle Renton the James Marshall ‘Jimi Hendrix’ Post Office.

Then Microsoft co-founder and fellow Seattle native Paul Allen, who is a Jimi Hendrix fan teamed up with Jimi’s father, Al Hendrix, to open a museum in Seattle dedicated to Jimi Hendrix.

There was a dispute between Jimi’s father and Allen when the museum grew into a much more magnificent and innovative Experience Music Project. The place is now known as the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP).

5 Legendary Jazz Musicians

Legendary Jazz Musicians

Jazz is a genre of music that originates from the United States, specifically from New Orleans. Precisely this musical flow was formed in the early 20th century, which was the result of a fusion of African and European music.

Jazz music itself uses a lot of modern musical instruments in its playing. Examples include trumpet, trombone, saxophone and piano. Jazz music itself is known as a high-class music genre and is indeed widely listened to by people who have more money. Although it does not rule out that any group can hear and like jazz themselves.

So, here are 5 legendary world jazz musicians. If we trace the history of jazz itself, it can be said that these are musicians who play an active role in the development of jazz music itself. Please listen to the end.

Duke Ellington (1899-1974)

Legendary Jazz Musicians Duke Ellington

Many songs from this singer are used as movie soundtracks. This further adds to its popularity in the world of jazz music. Initially, these musicians were playing music from one cafe to another. He even won several Grammy awards for his jazz career.

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)

Legendary Jazz Musicians Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong himself started leading his own band in 1925. Many of his songs became hits and were liked by the public. In fact, the song seems to have become a legend and is eternal in the history of world jazz music. This singer is known for his skill in scat singing or improvised singing with a voice without words. His scat singing collaborated with the song Heebie Jeebies in 1926. Thanks to this song, Louis Armstrong managed to become a singer with a very famous voice in the 20th century. Louis Armstrong is a black person, but that doesn’t make him ostracized instead he is respected and highly valued by good nature and also a good voice. Even though at that time, American society still looked down on black people. Louis even won a Grammy award in the category of jazz musician.

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998)

Legendary Jazz Musicians Frank Sinatra

This musician started his music career with Harry and Tommy Dorsey. He became a successful singer in the 1940s. He even became the idol of youth at that time. After working with various record companies, Frank has his own record company, namely Reprise Records, which is no less successful in releasing many of his hit albums. Unfortunately, Frank’s progress had to stop when he died in 1998.

Miles Davis (1926-1991)

Legendary Jazz Musicians Miles Davis

Miles Davis is a trumpeter, band leader, and also reliable composer. He was the initiator of every change that occurred in jazz music after the second world war. His best work, as people often say, is an album entitled Kind of Blue, which was released in 1959.

John Coltrane (1926-1967)

Legendary Jazz Musicians John Coltrane

This jazz musician was born on September 23, 1926, in Halmet, North Carolina. This musician is a saxophonist and also a composer who has contributed a lot to the development of world jazz music. Until the end of jazz music into high-class music is a hard struggle. In 1961, he signed a contract with a record company, until finally, he made his first international tour in France, where he received a warm welcome and was also impressed.

The Best Blues Guitarists of All Time

Best Blues Guitarists of All Time

UK-based music site Robb-bowerpresents.com launched the 30 greatest blues guitarists of all time. This is determined based on the choices of their portal visitors which have been distributed since January 2014. But here we only cover the top 10, who are they? Following review:

1. Stevie Ray Vaughn

Blues Guitarist: Stevie Ray Vaughn

Robb-Bowerpresents finally put Stevie Ray Vaughn at the top of the list. Although inviting a number of pros and cons, it must be admitted that no blues guitarist is able to ‘overpower’ a Stratocaster guitar like him. His unique technique and guitar sound have even become a ‘holy grail’ for hundreds or even thousands of guitarists over the years since he passed away.

2. B.B. King

Blues Guitarist: B.B. King

The name of this guitarist who was born in 1925 will always come out of anyone’s mouth when asked who is one of the great electric blues guitarists on this planet. Yes B.B. King has indeed become a model for many guitarists. The way he marries blues, jazz, swing, and mainstream pop and jumps into a unique sound is truly inspiring.

3. Robert Johnson

Blues Guitarist: Robert Johnson

The name of this guitarist who was born in 1925 will always come out of anyone’s mouth when asked who is one of the great electric blues guitarists on this planet. Yes B.B. King has indeed become a model for many guitarists. The way he marries blues, jazz, swing, mainstream pop, and jumps into a unique sound is truly inspiring.

4. Jimi Hendrix

Blues Guitarist: Jimi Hendrix

This guitarist is a revolutionary. He is Jim Morrison to Da Vinci of guitar. Until now no one can make music to guitar sound like him. Apart from being fashionable in her self-image, her lyrics are also poetic and straightforward, and her music is very universal which is not only entangled in rock but also soul, pop funk and blues. He is ahead of our time!

5. Rory Gallagher

Blues Guitarist: Rory Gallagher

This Irish-born guitarist may often be underestimated throughout his musical career, but over time the distinctive sound of the 1961 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst, which became his flagship weapon, continues to resonate to this day. Rory Gallagher has also always played with passion and vitality both on his own and as part of the Taste trio.

6. Peter Green

Blues Guitarist: Peter Green

Substitute for Eric Clapton in John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, he succeeded in changing the world of electric blues through his beautiful, soulful, and very lyrical guitar playing.

7. Eric Clapton

Blues Guitarist: Eric Clapton

Cream, Blind Faith, Derek, And The Dominos, The Dirty Mac, The Yardbirds, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and a series of solo works that he has produced prove that the blues is the ‘heart’ of Eric Clapton. One of Eric Clapton’s works that has left a big stigma in the world of electric blues is his playing and guitar sound on the album “‘Beano” by John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers which was released in 1966.

8. Buddy Guy

Blues Guitarist: Buddy Guy

It doesn’t take many words to describe this guitarist. Just pick a sentence that Eric Clapton once said: “Buddy Guy to me is Elvis (Presley) to someone else.” It was more than enough!

9. Muddy Waters

Blues Guitarist: Muddy Waters

Inspired by delta blues pioneers Mississippi Son House and Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters has been described as “The Father Of Chicago Blues” and the inspiration for much of the 1960s blues movement. His extraordinary performance at the Newport Jazz Festival that year even created a new template. In the world of electric blues and inspired musicians such as The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. A true legend!

10. Gary Moore

Blues Guitarist: Gary Moore

It seems that there really isn’t a blues guitarist anymore who can make a Les Paul scream like Gary Moore did. Moreover, this Northern Irish-born guitarist is not only good at torturing guitar necks, but has also produced a number of slick recordings, both through his solo projects and during his time with Thin Lizzy.

Blues Music is One of The Important Genre in The Music World

Blues Music is One of The Important

Blues music emerged in the late 19th century from African-Americans living in the Deep South of the United States. From time to time this genre continues to grow until it becomes one of the streams of popular music. Blues music is also often combined with other musical genres such as jazz or rock.

During its development, a number of musicians emerged who performed blues music well, such as B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Behind the fun of blues music, you also need to know some information about the meaning of blues music, its history, characteristics, and classifications that distinguish blues music from other genres of music.

Definition of Blues Music

Blues music is a musical genre that originated in the late 19th century. Blues music originates from the Deep South, United States of America, which is a development of folk music and traditional African music and comes from the traditions of black people in America. The blues music genre is closely related to ritual and spiritual songs typical of African traditions.

Initially, many said that the word blues in blues music was used as an abbreviation of “blue devils”. The word “blue devils” is considered to symbolize visual hallucinations and sadness which were the theme of many blues songs in the old era. Even so, there are many sources who think that blues is an abbreviation of “blue notes”.

Early Style of Blues Music

Genre Blues Music

The early style of blues music was when it was known as country blues. Its features are simple. Only soloists sing accompanied by guitar or piano. Furthermore, in the 1920s, a type of music called “delta blues” emerged from Mississippi, United States. Delta blues is rooted in the poverty of workers who are pressured by plantation owners. The blues of that era was still very traditional, with folk songs being sung by word of mouth. The lyrics are often adapted, then changed into new lyrics according to the musician’s heart.

Apart from the guitar, the harmonica has also become popular to accompany the delta blues. Making this music more rhythmic. Simple lyrics with powerful vocals, plus a strong, evocative message characterizes this early style of music. The most important of this early style of music, of course, is the use of the slide technique when playing the guitar. A distinctive technique that produces a ringing sound that is as beautiful as it is bitter. Until now, this slide technique is still often found in blues music performances. The famous blues musicians of this era were Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson. Both are credited with popularizing blues music in the 1920s.

Characteristics of Blues Music

Blues music is a derivative of the type of folk music and African indigenous music. The theme used in the early development of blues music was contained in song lyrics related to spiritual and spiritual matters. The initial pattern of blues music is using a call-and-response pattern with song lyrics consisting of four lines. The first two lines of the lyrics are questions and the last two lines are answers.

Another characteristic of blues music can be seen in the bass and instrumentation used. Behind that, the song lyrics in blues music are also somewhat unique. Generally, classic bass songs use a single line of lyrics that are usually repeated four times to the beat of the music. In the early 20th century period, blues music developed again, this time heavily using the AAB structure in the final rhythm section of the lyrics.

The song lyrics used at that time discussed many of the problems of life in African-American society. Blues also has a number of subgenres, the most popular of which are Delta blues, country blues or Chicago blues. Blues music itself just really popular around the world after World War II, especially thanks to the development of electric blues and blues rock.

Blues is also often combined with other musical genres, such as blues, jazz or R&B (rhythm and blues), which is the development of blues music. Many blues musicians emerged and often produced the best blues songs, where B.B. King is widely referred to as the King of Blues. Currently, there are also many singers or bands who perform blues music, either pure blues music or a combination of other musical genres.

The Forerunner of Popular Music Style

One of the blues guitarists is T-Bone Walker. He was the first to use guitar sound and technique which became the forerunner of rock music. One of his trademarks is the use of long guitar solos and cranking up the amplifier level to distortion levels. This makes a lot of guitarists who also imitate it. No wonder the city blues era gave birth to many great guitar soloists, including Buddy Guy and B.B. King.

Blues music could not be dammed anymore and spread outside the United States in the 1960s, especially in England and throughout Western Europe. Eric Clapton and Stan Webb also adapted the city blues style with the dominance of their electric guitars and made the blues formula more popular.

Blues music formulas and techniques are increasingly being used. This not only became the impetus for the emergence of rock music, but also many other popular musics. You could even say that the blues has had a major influence on almost every style of popular music. The simplicity of the 12-bar structure in blues gives musicians the opportunity to express musical ideas freely. The saying that the blues is the root of popular music has proven to be true. Grassroots blues music has had a major influence around the world to this day.