Jimi+Hendrix

As you research your selected guitarist, you will need to note some specific information from his or her life and career. Include the following in your final writing: Details for your written assignment: ,
 * Introduction
 * Biography
 * Discography
 * Legacy
 * Conclusion

Your Name: (first name, last initial): Kelly S.

Write your essay here! : Jimi Hendrix played many styles of music, but they were mostly rock. These styles included rock and roll, rock and rhythm, blues, and obviously rock. Rock is a term that covers a variety of popular American styles dating form the 1960's. Itself is a descendant of earlier black and white musical influences. Rock and Roll is a popular American style of the 1950's that emerged from the African-American popular style of Rhythm and Blues. Blues is a traditional black American Ballad style, it is in 4/4 time, with a melody characterized by lowered third and seventh, and has developed into a stereotyped, 13-measure harmonic pattern. Jimi Hendrix began incorporating trademark crowd-pleasers like playing the guitar with his teeth, behind his back, and between his legs.

Jimi Hendrix was born November 27, 1942 in Seattle, and died September 18, 1970 in London, England. His real name is Johnny Allen Hendrix, but he changed it to James Marshall Hendrix. Soon after, he changed it to Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix began playing at the age of 11 and started playing with local rock bands in his home town while attending school. Jimi was a pro at the electric guitar, and it happened to be his favorite as well. As Hendrix grew older, he played as a backing guitarist for a host of a popular rock and rhythm and blues artists like Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, The Isley Brothers, Curtis Knight, Wilson Pickett, Ike and Tina Turner, King Curtis, and James Brown. Jimi also teamed up with Cox in the King Kasuals, and he provided support for performers like Slim Harp and Nappy Brown. After Jimi Hendrix performed at the Monterey Pop Festival, he became and immediate superstar. Through Jimi’s life, he was named and selected for many things. This included pop musician of the year by Melody Maker magazine in 1967 and 1968, he was selected Billboard artist of the year in 1968; Rolling Stone magazine's performer of the year and rock and roll album of the year in 1968; he was presented key to the city of Seattle in 1968; Jimi Hendrix was named Playboy magazine's artist of the year in 1969; and he was elected to down beat magazine's Readers' Poll Hall of Fame in 1970. Jimi was also named Guitar Player magazine's rock guitarist of the year in 1970, and presented the magazine's lifetime achievement award in 1983. When Jimi Hendrix would sing, people could tell in his voice that he was going to die, and when he did die, people weren't that surprised. Jimi Hendrix died from suffocation as a result of taking barbiturate intoxication, or in other words, he died from inhaling his own vomit.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience let out their first song “Hey Joe”, and was named Number 6 on the U.K. charts in 1967. Later that year Hendrix let out a new album "Are You Experienced?" That album was called by Guitar Players' Jas Obrecht, "the most revolutionary debut album in rock guitar history." The blues had an influence on Jimi Hendrix. After he heard that his idols slept with their guitars, he soon did the same. Some musicians that influenced Hendrix were The Blues Masters, who were Muddy Water’s, Howlin’ Wolf, Albert and B.B. King, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Charlie Christian also influenced him, and Jimi could as easily peel of a Charlie Christian-styled jazz lick, a scorching rocker, or a low down-blues.

Jimi Hendrix has influenced has both jazz muscisians and practitioners of avant-garde "new music." Jimi Hendrix will be remembered as the most innovative electric guitarist of all time. Hendrix had literally reinvented the potential of the electric guitar and became its first true innovator since Chuck Berry. The aura of Jimi Hendrix still lives today, while some guitarists like Robin Trower and Stevie Ray Vaughan play their respects to the master and turn on new generations of his music. Others try to recreate Jimi’s image of music, but they can’t sound note-to-note with his voice. People even say that they new he was going to die by the sound in his voice when he sang, and when he did die, people weren’t surprised.

The most interesting things I have learned about Jimi Hendrix were that he died from inhaling his own vomit due to barbiturate intoxication. Jimi doesn’t seem like the type of person that would take drugs. Something that I thought seemed important that I learned is that guitarist actually play their respects to Hendrix. They respect him as a musician and need to let people hear him, and I thought that was a good thing to do.

Works Cited

Sources : "Jimi Hendrix." //Contemporary Musicians//. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1989. //Biography In Context//. Web. 1 May 2013.

Henderson, David. "Jimi Hendrix." //Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History//. Gale, 2006. //Biography In Context//. Web. 13 May 2013.

Guitarist Research Notes Table
After performing at the Monterey Pop Festival he became an immediate superstar. || their first single, "Hey Joe," went all the way to Number 6 on the U.K. charts in 1967. || What do you like about his/her style? || The aura of Hendrix still lives: guitarists like Robin Trower and Stevie Ray Vaughan pay their respects to the master while turning on new generations to his music. Others, like Randy Hansen's Machine Gun, go so far as to try and recreate Hendrix's image and sound note-for-note, but the aping seems futile, as some of the material just cannot be reproduced even today. It seems like jimi hendrix played alot of styles and spounded good since alot of people liked him. but the special thing is that when people try to sing note-to-note for his music, they can not. || Hendrix had literally reinvented the electric guitar's potential and became its first true innovator since Chuck Berry. || Johnny Allen Hendrix changed to James Marshall Hendrix. Named pop musician of the year by Melody Maker magazine, 1967 and 1968, he was selected Billboard artist of the year in 1968; Rolling Stone magazine's performer of the year and rock and roll album of the year, 1968; presented key to the city of Seattle, 1968; named Playboy magazine's artist of the year, 1969; elected to down beat magazine's Readers' Poll Hall of Fame, 1970; named Guitar Player magazine's rock guitarist of the year, 1970, and presented the magazine's lifetime achievement award, 1983.
 * ** Information Feature ** ||= **Your Findings** //cells will expand as you enter your findings// ||
 * The guitar style I am researching is: || rock ||
 * The artist I am researching is: || Jimi Hendrix ||
 * This guitarist lived from __to__ ___ || November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington, United States to September 18, 1970 in London, England ||
 * Define and describe the guitar style you are researching. || rock is term that covers a variety of popular American Styles dating from the 1960's. itself is a descendant of earlier black and white musical influences. ||
 * What kind of musical training did the guitarist have? || He played in local rock groups in his home town. ||
 * What types of music influenced this artist? || The Blues influenced him, and he started to sleep with his guitar after hearing that his idols did the same. ||
 * Name some musicians who influenced the guitarist you are researching. || His idols and The blues masters were Muddy Waters,Howlin' Wolf, Albert and B.B. King, and Lightnin' Hopkins. He also could as easily peel of a Charlie Christian- styled jazz lick, a scorching rocker, or a low down- blues who also influenced him as well. ||
 * Has this guitarist played more than one style? If so, what other styles? || rock and roll, blues, rock and rythm, ||
 * What type of guitar does this musician play? || electric guitar ||
 * What are some interesting facts about your guitarist’s childhood? || He began playing guitar at the age of 11; played with various local rock bands during while attending high school; ||
 * What did this guitarist do before he became famous? || Played as a basking guitarist for a host of a popular rock and rhythm and blues artists:Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, the Isley Brothers, Curtis Knight, Wilson Pickett, Ike and Tina Turner, King Curtis, and James Brown. Hendrix also teamed with Cox in the King Kasuals, providing support for performers including Slim Harpo and Nappy Brown
 * List two interesting facts about the guitarist’s life. || He began incorporating trademark crowd-pleasers like playing the guitar with his teeth, behind his back, and between his legs. ||
 * List two albums or songs your artist released, the dates they were released and why they are important. || the Jimi Hendrix Experience let out their first song:
 * Who is playing this style of music today?
 * What legacy has this guitarist left to the world of music? || Jimi Hendrix will be remembered as the most innovative electric guitarist of all time.