Jimi Hendrix checked-out of this life on this day in 1970 in London. The legendary guitarist was one of the few musicians who it could truly be said reinvented the instrument he played. Born Johnny Allen Hendrix (his father later changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix) on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Hendrix took up the guitar at the age of 15. Four years later, he enlisted in the Army for several months, then moved to Clarksville, Tennessee where he landed a gig in the Isley Brothers band. Stints with Little Richard and Curtis Knight and the Squires followed. His career had a major pivot when Animals bassist Chas Chandler heard him play, offered to manage him and invited him to London with the promise that Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and other UK guitar greats would accept his invitation to see Jimi do a showcase club performance. On seeing his jaw dropping performance in November, 1966 in London, all were amazed. Jeff Beck was said to have been so blown away that his first thought was that he would have to learn another instrument or find another career.
The meteoric rise to prominence of the bashful Hendrix took a toll and drugs and alcohol increasingly his way to cope. The Jimi Hendrix Experience's last concert was at the Denver Pop Festival on June 29, 1969. He went on to form the short-lived Band Of Gypsys. His relationships, fraying, Hendrix moved to London. On September 17, 1970, he had a late night dinner with German figure skater Monika Dannermann. Following dinner, she reportedly drove Jimi to the home of another acquaintance before returning him to her apartment at about 3am. She said the two of them talked until nearly 7am. When she woke close to four hours later, Hendrix was unconscious. He was pronounced dead at 12:45pm on the 18th.
Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on September 18 include...
1949 Kansas guitarist, keyboard player and songwriter Kerry Livgren born.
1952 Ramones drummer Dee Dee Ramone born Douglas Glenn Colvin.
1958 Lita Ford born.
1968 The Beatles record Birthday.
1970 Black Sabbath releases Paranoid.
1970 Fleetwood Mac releases Kiln House.
1974 John Lennon does a guest DJ stint on WNEW in New York City.
1978 Neil Young opens a US tour in Detroit.
1978 KISS members all release solo albums.
1981 Genesis releases Abacab.
1983 KISS members appear without makeup on MTV on the day the Lick It Up album is released.
1987 KISS releases Crazy Nights.
1994 Farm Aid VII is staged in New Orleans with Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson. Kris Kristofferson, the Neville Brothers, Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors and others.
1996 Julian Lennon submits the top bid for an auction of Paul McCartney's hand written Hey Jude Lyrics sheet.
1997 Rolling Stones play warm-up date for tour in Chicago club.
2004 Farm Aid concert in Auburn, Washington includes sets from Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.
2005 Neil Young tears up copies of Chicago Tribune to protest paper's negative coverage of Farm Aid concert series as the 20th anniversary of the benefit for family farms concert takes place in Tinsley Park, Illinois with sets from Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, James McMurtry, John Mayer, Los Lonely Boys, Widespread Panic, Susan Tedeschi and more.
2007 David Gilmour releases Remember The Night DVD of 2006 Royal Albert Hall concerts.
2007 Mark Knopfler releases Kill To Get Crimson.
2010 Eddie Vedder marries Jill McCormick in Hawaii.
2015 Keith Richards releases Crosseyed Heart.
2015 David Gilmour releases Rattle That Lock.
2020 Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs release debut album Reckless Abandon.
2020 Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets releases Live at the Roundhouse.
