Jimi Hendrix

Was Jimi Murdered ??

The doctor who attempted to resuscitate Jimi Hendrix the night the guitarist died says it is “plausible” that Hendrix was murdered. As reported by the UK Times, former physician John Bannister says the medical evidence surrounding Hendrix’s death is consistent with claims made in a new book that allege the rock legend was killed on orders from his manager. (Do Not Confuse With Chas Chandler)

In his memoir, Rock Roadie, author James “Tappy” Wright alleges that Hendrix’s manager, Mike Jeffery, hired a gang to break into the guitarist’s hotel room and force sleeping pills and wine down Hendrix’s throat. Wright says Jeffrey confessed to the scheme, saying he had Hendrix killed in order to collect on a $2 million life insurance policy he had taken out on the musician.

Bannister was the on-call registrar at the hospital to which Hendrix was taken. He told the U.K. Times that the medical staff “worked very hard for about half an hour but there was no response at all. It really was an exercise in futility.”

Bannister went on to say that Wright’s account “sounded plausible because of the volume of wine” found in Hendrix’s lungs and on his body.

“The amount of wine that was over him was just extraordinary,” he said. “Not only was it saturated right through his hair and shirt but his lungs and stomach were absolutely full of wine. I have never seen so much wine. We had a sucker that you put down into his trachea, the entrance to his lungs and to the whole of the back of his throat.”

Bannister continued: “We kept sucking him out and it kept surging and surging. He had already vomited up masses of red wine and I would have thought there was half a bottle of wine in his hair. He had really drowned in a massive amount of red wine.”

Conventional accounts have long maintained that Hendrix died from choking on vomit after a drug overdose. The guitarist’s girlfriend, Monika Dannemann, was with him the night he died, and many suspect she never revealed everything she knew regarding the incident. Danneman committed suicide in 1996. Jeffrey was killed in a plane crash in 1973.

James Marshall Hendrix was born on 27 November 1942 in Seattle, Washington. His parents divorced in the early fifties; from then on Jimmy (changed to Jimi later on) lived with his father. Jimmy became obsessed with his father's classical blues and jazz record collection. Jimmy's father, Al Hendrix, realized this and decided to buy Jimmy a cheap guitar. At the age of eleven the roots of a legendary guitar player were planted. In May 1961 at the age of seventeen, Jimmy left Seattle and joined the army. He enlisted in the 101st Airborne Paratroopers where he stayed for fourteen months and made 25 successful jumps. On his 26th jump he sustained a substantial ankle injury and was given an honorable discharge. After the army he began to play guitar on many star-studded package tours.

Playing in the shadow of many greats like B.B. King, Sam Cooke, Soloman Burke, Chuck Jackson and Jackie Wilson, he later joined Little Richard's band and went on to play with Ike and Tina Turner. Although Jimmy was learning important things to help him later on in his music career, he was frustrated by the fact that he was not free to play the way he wanted. So he started his own group where he elected to sing for the first time. The group had a regular spot at Greenwich Village. One night when the were playing in the Cafe Wha, Greenwich Village in 1966, they were spotted by former bassist with the Animals, Chas Chandler.

Chandler convinced Jimmy to come to London with him, and from that arose Jimmy's stardom. Once they arrived in London on 24 September 1966 they decided to change Jimmy's name to Jimi. The two thought it would be more "memorable." Soon Chandler became Jimi's manager. They agreed that the best setup for Jimi would be a trio. They chose Mitch Mitchell on drums, and Noel Redding to play bass. So on 6 October 1966 The Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed. In the next four years, from 1966 to 1970, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three major albums. Jimi also had a side band named The Band of Gypsies, which was an all-black trio. With The Band of Gypsies he released one live album and played at Woodstock '69. He later released an album with a band called The Cry of Love Band, called The Cry of Love. On Friday 17 September 1970 Jimi was staying in London with a girlfriend named Monika Danneman. He had a big gig to play the next day so he needed to get some sleep. He took some sleeping pills and went to bed; the next morning Danneman saw that Jimi had vomited during the night but paid no attention to it. When she tried to wake him a little later and he did not stir, she called an ambulance. By the time the ambulance arrived, Jimi had died of suffocation from his vomit. The night before he had been working on a new song. The closing lines were:

The story
of life is quicker
than the wink of an eye
The story of love
is hello and goodbye
Until we meet again

Jimi Hendrix was originally discovered and managed until his death by Chas Chandler who was Eric Burdon's original Bass player In the Animals.

Eric was very tight with Jimi, In fact he was with him the night he died.

Many notable people in the industry have called Eric Burdon, the "best blues singer to ever come out of England".

I am very honored to know Eric and to build all of Dean Restum's Guitars. These Guys are still on the road and laying down some of the best Rock Blues Music you will ever hear. If they come to your town you would be a fool not to catch Eric Burdon & The New Animals.

Ed Roman

2005

Eric Burdon & Jimi Hendrix

Jimmy Hendrix & Billy Gibbons
In case you can't recognize Billy He is standing next to Jimi
In a Television Interview On Dick Cavett in 1968 Jimi Hendrix Named Billy Gibbons as his favorite Guitar Player.

Jimi Hendrix Monterey Strat Available Click Here