Jimi Hendrix's Personal Record Collection
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:11 pm
Jimi Hendrix never took formal lessons, learned to read music, or cracked open guitar instruction book. Like most players who learn by ear, he was influenced by recordings of other musicians. Based on the recollections of his dad and his girlfriend in London, Kathy Etchingham, I've just posted an article tracing the evolution of the music that influenced Jimi during his boyhood in Seattle and the album collection he amassed after moving to London.
One of the best journalistic assignments of my life was co-authoring the book "My Son Jimi" with his dad, Al Hendrix. Al recalled that Jimi's love of music first kicked in during junior high, when he was sharing a room with his cousin Bobby. “They had a record player,” Al explained, “and Bobby remembers that that’s when Jimi became really interested in music. Jimi liked to listen to a 45 of Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog,’ and he liked Little Richards’ 45s. When he was around 14, Jimi went to an Elvis concert to see what it was all about. Jimi liked Elvis, and he sketched a picture of him." That sketch, which Al showed me, included many song titles from the rockabilly era, which gives us good insight into the first songs that thrilled young Hendrix. Al goes on to describe how and why Jimi began playing guitar and the songs he covered in his first band. Finally, he talks about acquiring their first stereo while Jimi was in high school, and how Jimi would watch TV and then jam along to blues records during the commercials. Interesting stuff from someone who was actually there!
The second half is devoted to the albums Jimi purchased after he moved to London in 1966 and began making money. Kathy named the stores he shopped at, their home stereo system -- Bang & Olufsen turntable run through a Leak-70 amp and a pair of Lowther 30-watt speakers -- and best of all, Jimi's very wide-ranging purchases of albums. I’ve also included information from when the London collection was sold to the Experience Music Project during the 1990s. If you want check all this out, and see a very detailed listing of the albums Jimi actually owned, it’s all posted here: http://jasobrecht.com/jimi-hendrixs-per ... ollection/
One of the best journalistic assignments of my life was co-authoring the book "My Son Jimi" with his dad, Al Hendrix. Al recalled that Jimi's love of music first kicked in during junior high, when he was sharing a room with his cousin Bobby. “They had a record player,” Al explained, “and Bobby remembers that that’s when Jimi became really interested in music. Jimi liked to listen to a 45 of Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog,’ and he liked Little Richards’ 45s. When he was around 14, Jimi went to an Elvis concert to see what it was all about. Jimi liked Elvis, and he sketched a picture of him." That sketch, which Al showed me, included many song titles from the rockabilly era, which gives us good insight into the first songs that thrilled young Hendrix. Al goes on to describe how and why Jimi began playing guitar and the songs he covered in his first band. Finally, he talks about acquiring their first stereo while Jimi was in high school, and how Jimi would watch TV and then jam along to blues records during the commercials. Interesting stuff from someone who was actually there!
The second half is devoted to the albums Jimi purchased after he moved to London in 1966 and began making money. Kathy named the stores he shopped at, their home stereo system -- Bang & Olufsen turntable run through a Leak-70 amp and a pair of Lowther 30-watt speakers -- and best of all, Jimi's very wide-ranging purchases of albums. I’ve also included information from when the London collection was sold to the Experience Music Project during the 1990s. If you want check all this out, and see a very detailed listing of the albums Jimi actually owned, it’s all posted here: http://jasobrecht.com/jimi-hendrixs-per ... ollection/
