Top Ten Songs by Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix in November of 1942 to parents Al and Lucille In Seattle, Washington. His father was in military service and so little Johnny was raised primarily by his mother in those early days. In September of 1946 Al Hendrix legally changed his sons name to James Marshall Hendrix. Jimi had several siblings; Leon, Joseph and Cathy.

Al and Lucille Hendrix divorce in December of 1951. The three young boys stay with their father while Cathy goes with her mother.

Jimi’s interest in music began in 1958 when his father bought him a ukulele. He liked it so much that he bought himself an acoustic guitar later that same year and joined his first musical group, The Velvetones. Jimi displays such a talent that his father buys him an electric guitar the next year. He now had more elaborate equipment and joined a band called The Rocking Kings in 1959 and made his first live performance.

Playing various musical gigs and getting in and out of trouble with the police, Jimi left high school without graduating and enlisted in the Army in 1961. It was during his attempt at parachute training that Jimi broke his ankle and was discharged from the Army.

Back to what he knows best, Jimi is working as a musician-for-hire in Nashville clubs when he joins an R&B band called Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers, who later signs to Motown. He played with various other bands before deciding to go to New York and try a real recording session in an actual studio. It was then he experienced a bit of real success as part of the Isley Brothers backing band. Little Richard eventually enlisted Jimi for his touring band but fired him within the year.

Jimi had played with just about everyone, he knew the ropes. He was experienced and talented. He was beginning to make a name for himself and get noticed. Eventually he was noticed by the right people. His first taste of real success was in the UK. The Jimi Hendrix experience was formed and preformed most of its early days in London before playing at the famed Monterey Pop Festival in California. Noel Redding became the groups drummer.

They began opening for more and more well known bands. They opened for The Monkees once but parted company amiably as the two most musically mismatched bands ever. Jimi also began making a reputation for himself as a heavy duty, hard balling rock and roller. He was seen partying the night away and drinking with the likes of Jim Morrison of the Doors and Janis Joplin. He was arrested in Sweden for damaging his hotel room and was arrested for possession of illegal drugs on his arrival at Toronto International Airport. Managers from The Rolling Stones were taking a second look at The Jimi Hendrix Experience and seeing them in a different light.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience made most of their debut performances in the UK. The first time they were on television was on ITV’s Ready, Steady, Go! The Experience performed three songs at their debut BBC Radio Session.They began recording their debut album in the UK as well. The Experience began a controversial UK tour in 1967 supporting UK pop idols The Walker Brothers. The even began recording their second album in the UK as well.

After a performance at the Denver Pop Festival, Noel Redding discovers that Hendrix is planning to replace him with Billy Cox and it becomes the Experience’s final show. Jimi adds other musicians to his line up and changes the bands name several times. He played throughout the world and after several drug induced shows in Germany and London, he dies in am hotel room after suffocating on vomit from an influx of barbiturates in September of 1970.

Below is a list of Jimi Hendrix top ten songs:

1.Purple Haze
2.Hey Joe
3.Foxey Lady
4.All ALong The Watchtower
5.Manic Depression
6.Hear My Train a Comin
7.Voodoo Chile Blues
8.Red House
9.Wild Thing
10.Spanish Castle Magic