The legacy of Jimi Hendrix and his influence on the music industry!
September 18, 1970. Exactly 50 years ago, Jimi Hendrix (official name: James Marshall Hendrix) joined the 27 club. It was a tragic early end for the rock star that burned bright and faded fast, marking a huge loss for rock ’n roll and the music industry. Jimi’s influences are still visible today and his legendary tracks, like ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Voodoo Child’, are still widely listened to. That’s why we decided to put the guitar legend and his gear in the spotlight with a Jimi Hendrix special!
Today, Jimi Hendrix is acknowledged as a musical intellectual. He is recognized for his precision and speed while playing and his ability to play, sing and dance at the same time. A few of his signature effect sounds like the Wah, Feedback and the Fuzz wouldn’t be so loved without Jimi Hendrix. Even better… A lot of effect pedals and guitar products still carry his name. (continues below)
Source: Guitar.com - DUNLOP UNVEILS JIMI HENDRIX-THEMED ’69 PSYCH SERIES OF MICRO PEDALS
Fact 1: Jimi Hendrix could not read music…
So if you’re afraid to pick up an instrument because you can’t read music. Don’t be!
Imagine that Jimi Hendrix never picked up the guitar because he couldn’t read notes…
Jimi Hendrix on a left-handed Stratocaster in front of some Marshall amplifiers!
Without his existence, rock would still be in his grass roots! For instance:
It was Jimi who introduced the system in which one person would sing and play the guitar and the lead at the same time.
Without him, rock artists would hire a large group of people in their bands which would be more expensive.
Fact 2: The first instrument Jimi touched was a ukulele.
Jimi’s first instrument was a one-string ukelele.
To be honest, this picture is Photoshopped. But it’s true… Jimi’s first instrument was a ukulele!
Jimi and his father found a ukulele amongst the garbage while they were removing the garbage from an older woman’s home. She told him that he could keep the instrument.
Fun fact: the ukulele had only one string.
Without any knowledge in music theory, Jimi learned to play this one-string ukulele by ear. He played single notes, following along to Elvis Presley songs, particularly ‘Hound Dog’.
Right after that, he bought his first (used) electric guitar, which was probably a Stratocaster.
In 1958, at age 15, Hendrix bought his first acoustic guitar for 5 US dollars. He played for hours daily, watching other and learning from more experienced guitarists like Muddy Waters and BB King.
Soon after that, he formed his first band called ‘The Velvetones’. This didn’t last long and Jimi hopped to a few different bands afterwards.
Fun fact: Jimi Hendrix got kicked out of a few bands. Mainly because he was ‘showing off’ between sets or because he wasn’t allowed to wear flashy clothes... - Can you imagine kicking out Jimi Hendrix out of your band?
Fact 3: His musical inspiration often came from his dreams.
““Well, I stand up next to a mountain. And I chop it down with the edge of my hand” ”
Not a realistic scenario but at least now we know what Jimi’s dreams were about.
Or was it the drugs? Who cares…
This guy outplayed and outclassed everybody.
“I dream a lot and I put a lot of my dreams down in songs”, he explained in a interview in 1967.
Jimi spoke in a musical way that others can hear, but no one can speak. When he came in, or got on stage, you’d better be prepared for a show!
And that’s how we come to our 4th fact…
Fact 4: Jimi Hendrix never graduated high school.
Moral of the story:
Never judge a book by its cover. Imagine if Jimi’s band members didn’t kick him out… Well, we should actually be glad that they did that because otherwise there wouldn’t be a Jimi Hendrix Experience!
You don’t need a degree to become successful and chase your dreams. Just focus on the things you love and keep working to achieve your goals. As Jimi once said: “May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future.”
You don’t need to have any musical knowledge to start playing music. What you do need, is gear to play some music! So don’t be afraid to buy some (cheap) gear to get started. You can find some suggestions (and photos) below to get started in no-time:
LÂG Tramontane Series: a budget-friendly serie of acoustic guitars with a very good price/quality ratio.
G&L Tribute S-500 Sonic Blue: a budget-friendly Stratocaster, designed by Leo Fender. This comes the closest to an expensive Fender Stratocaster, which Jimi used a lot!
Jimi Hendrix picks and straps by Dunlop. You can also go for a Jimi Hendrix pack with 4 straps and a box if picks included.
Dunlop’s Jimi Hendrix effect pedals to really match his sound! There is a lot of choice so I suggest you to take a look and test some pedals at your local Dunlop dealer.
