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Hendrix, Jimi
4 articles on Hendrix, Jimi
Hendrix, Jimi

Source: Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century
Word Count: 1363 Includes: Bibliography(b. 27 November 1942; d. 18 September 1970), songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington, to James “Al” Hendrix and Lucille Jeter, Hendrix played as a sideman for several rock-and-roll bands throughout the 1960s before emerging as the most recognizable guitarist of the twentieth century.Hendrix's early life was troubled. Al Hendrix, a private in the U.S. Army during World War II, was serving when his son was born; when Al returned from the war, he renamed his son James Marshall Hendrix. Between 1942 and 1953Al Hendrix and Lucille Jeter had five children: four of them were sent to foster care for different amounts of time, and three were born with severe developmental disabilities. Al struggled to find work and battled an addiction to alcohol. Lucille, equally addicted to alcohol, died on 1 ...
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Source: Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, Second Edition
Word Count: 6571942–1970
African American musician, rock-and-roll singer and guitar virtuoso. Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington. He taught himself to play guitar by listening to recordings of Muddy Waters, Riley B. (“B. B.”) King, and Charles Edward Anderson (“Chuck”) Berry. After serving as a paratrooper in the army, he began his music career. Under the name Jimmy James, he played as a backup guitarist for many top rock-and-roll and Rhythm and Blues artists, including Little Richard, Sam Cooke, B.B. King, Wilson Pickett, Ike and Tina Turner, and the Isley Brothers. From 1962 to 1964, Hendrix began to captivate audiences with guitar tricks such as playing with his teeth, behind his back, and between his legs.Aspiring to move out of the background, Hendrix formed a band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames ...
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Source: African American National Biography
Word Count: 1632 Includes: Further Reading | Obituary:(27 Nov. 1942–18 Sept. 1970), rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter, was born into a working-class family in Seattle, Washington, the son of James Allen Ross Hendrix, a gardener, and Lucille Jetter. Named Johnny Allen Hendrix at birth by his mother while his father was in the service, his name was changed to James Marshall Hendrix by his father upon his return home. Self-taught as a left-handed guitarist from an early age, Hendrix played a right-handed guitar upside down, a practice he maintained throughout his life since it allowed for unusual fingering patterns and quicker access to tone and volume controls. His early influences ranged from the jazz guitarist Charlie Christianto blues guitarists and honking rhythm and blues saxophone soloists. He attended elementary school in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle and went ...
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Source: Grove Music Online
Word Count: 1548 Includes: Bibliography(b. Seattle, 27 Nov 1942; d. London, England, 18 Sept 1970 ). American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He taught himself the guitar while growing up in Seattle. As he was left-handed he learnt to play the instrument upside down and continued to do so throughout his life; his unorthodox technique included the use of the right thumb to form unusual fingering patterns for some chords. From 1958 to 1960 he played in a high-school band, the Rocking Kings, and was strongly influenced by the electric guitar solos of Charlie Christian. He joined the US Army paratroopers and, while stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, visited Nashville, where he listened to country-blues performers. On his discharge (1961), he went to Nashville and joined the band, the Imperials, then moved to Vancouver (1962) and joined Billy Taylor and the Vancouvers. ...
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