Experience Hendrix - Featured Stories

Experience Hendrix: Featured Stories delves behind-the-scenes, on stage and in the studio to further explore the music, life and legacy of Jimi Hendrix ... the world's greatest guitarist. Check back regularly for new stories, interviews, photos, music, videos and more.

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Rob Lewis. A close look at Jimi Hendrix’s short time spent in Wisconsin reveals that it all started and ended in Madison. The small city of Madison figured into The Jimi Hendrix Experience's tour itinerary twice—1968 and 1970 were two very different years—with the small club scene slowly evolving to large stadium size venues. Both Madison gigs proved to be standout performances. Rob Lewis takes us on an historical journey through The Experience’s two visits to Wisconsin’s capital city in 1968 and 1970.

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JIMI PLAYS BERKELEY - The Long Strange Cinematic Trip

By John McDermott. Like so many entities associated with his rich legacy, the film Jimi Plays Berkeley took form in the turbulent vacuum created by Hendrix’s untimely death in September 1970. That it became a commercial property when other footage of Hendrix concerts languished elsewhere in vaults or left unclaimed was due entirely to the maneuvering of Jimi’s manager Michael Jeffery. While a flawed presentation, Jimi Plays Berkeley remains an essential snapshot of just how special a Jimi Hendrix concert performance was. Here’s the behind-the-scenes story and the long strange cinematic trip behind its original release.

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THE THRILL LIVES ON - An Interview With The King Of The Blues – B.B. King

Story & Interview by Steven C. Pesant. Rarely does one have the ability to pinpoint the birthplace of legends, but legendary father figure, Riley B. King – the “King Of the Blues” – came into this world on the cotton fields of Itta Bene, Mississippi on September 16, 1925. Over the course of the next 70 years, King helped inspire multiple generations of new guitarists to learn, appreciate, and expand the sound of the blues. In November 1999, we spent an evening with B.B. King and talked about a wide range of subjects, the impacts of Hendrix and Clapton and where his career and the future of the blues was headed. “I’ll tell you the truth,” explained King. “[My thrill] is going to try to be here for as many minutes and seconds as I can, to take it all in.” While King may have passed in May 2015 at 89 years old, his music continues to inspire and thrill fans the world over.

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I’M TOLD I HAD A GOOD TIME - The Micky Dolenz Archives

By Experience Hendrix. Micky Dolenz and The Monkees' long-time producer, manager and archivist Andrew Sandoval have recently published the new book I’m Told I Had A Good Time: The Micky Dolenz Archives available from Beatland Books. This lavishly illustrated book is packed with photos and memorabilia from Dolenz’s personal collection­much of which has never been previously published. It includes numerous unique and candid images featuring The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, Keith Moon, plus several unseen photos showcasing The Jimi Hendrix Experience as they toured with The Monkees as the group’s short-lived, opening act in July 1967. Micky Dolenz and Andrew Sandoval have shared a few of these images, anecdotes and a special offer to Jimi’s fans interested in the new collections.

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24 HOURS IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live In Ottawa ‘68

By John McDermott & Steven C. Pesant. The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s appearance in Ottawa, Ontario on March 19, 1968, was part of an extensive US tour organized in support of his recently issued second album, Axis: Bold As Love. The second show and portions of the first show were captured to tape that evening and were subjects to two different album releases via the Dagger Records bootleg label. Additionally, following The Experience’s performances, Jimi attended Joni Mitchell’s performance at the tiny Le Hibou Café and recorded her performance using his new reel-to-reel recorder. This recording has since been released as part of one of Mitchell’s sprawling multi-disc box sets. Let’s journey back to March 1968 and revisit Jimi Hendrix’s 24 hours in Canada’s capital city.

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THE BRITISH ARE COMING - Jimi Hendrix Invades New York City

Story & Interview by Steven C. Pesant. Jimi Hendrix Interview by Jay Ruby. What started as a well-planned media event in the heart of New York City featuring a squadron of helicopters whisking British bands to the top of the Pan Am Building turned into a water-logged, caravan of tired musicians showing up several hours late to their own party. In the end, the British groups made their arrival—but they were headlined by American guitarist Jimi Hendrix who was leading his chart-topping group The Jimi Hendrix Experience fresh on the heels of their sophomore album release. Music editor Jay Ruby from Jazz & Pop was on the “battleground” that day and recounts his experience, plus a few of Jimi’s own words from this fabled gathering.

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ACE OF SPADES - You Will Never See Someone Like Hendrix Again

By Steven C. Pesant. Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister candidly recounts his days as one of Jimi Hendrix’s roadies in this classic interview. In May 2000, we sat down with Lemmy where we talked about his time on the road with Jimi Hendrix and Hendrix’s lasting influence on him and music. “You'll never see someone like Hendrix playing the guitar again,” explains Lemmy. “He was unique and he was the best!”

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THE LINE-UP OF A LIFETIME - On The Road With The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Second UK Tour – Nov/Dec 1967

By Dave Thompson. For three weeks in November/December 1967, aboard a fleet of buses which combed the British roads, leaving no major town unturned, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move, Amen Corner, Pink Floyd, The Nice, The Outer Limits, and Eire Apparent set out to bring a taste of swinging London to the provinces. By the time this sensation itinerary was complete, The Experience had marked their first year together, had competed with some of the best bands around, at home and abroad, and had come out on top. 1968 was looming brighter every day.

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HEY, HEY WE’RE THE … EXPERIENCE? - How The Jimi Hendrix Experience Landed On Tour With The Monkees

By Steven C. Pesant. "Listen, we got you this wonderful gig that you just can't turn down. It's the hottest tour in America - the tour of a lifetime!!" exclaimed Mike Jeffery on the phone to Chas Chandler, "The Monkees!!" Take an inside look at this fabled pairing of two superstar music groups who set out to conquer America during a 7-week summer tour in 1967 but unravelled after just seven shows.

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