Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
FOR THEIR INTERVIEWS AND VALUABLE TIME, WED LIKE TO EXTEND our thanks to Keith Altham, Brian Auger, William Bell, Marion Booker, David Brigati, Rosa Lee Brooks, Freeman Brown, Clifford Burks, Reggie T. Butler, Randy California, Danny Casey, Lester Chambers, Willie Chambers, Jimmy Church, Joe Conzo, Dean Courtney, Don Covay, Billy Cox, Steve Cropper, Dick Dale, Billy Davis, Joey Dee, Walter DeVanne, Tim Dulaine, Cornell Dupree, Robert Fisher, Earl Gaines, Grady Gaines, John Goddard, Dobie Gray, Kim Fowley, Richie Havens, Leon Hendrix, Chris Hillman, Herman Hitson, Samuel Hooker, Frank Howard, Moogy Klingman, Bob Kulick, Art Laboe, Arthur Lee, Bob Levine, David MacDonald, Joe Marra, Chas Matthews, Jimmi Mayes, Ellen McIlwaine, Buddy Miles, Billy Mitchell, Art Neville, Jeremiah Newman, James Nixon, Jimmy Norman, Gorgeous George Odell, Deanie Parker, Larry Perigo, Charles Pope, Linda Porter, Lithofayne Pridgon, Bernard Purdie, Eddie Purell, Chuck Rainey, Alexander Randolph, Kenny Rankin, Little Richard, Monti Rock III, Tom Rush, Pete Sando, John Sebastian, Stella Shapiro, Ray Sharpe, James T. Shaw, Carol Shiroky, Percy Sledge, Robert Lee Smith, Melvin Sparks, Bobby Taylor, Chip Taylor, Dewey Terry, Danny Toan, Buddy Travis, Rick Vito, Charles Walker, Alan Wauters, Mary Willix, Glen Willings, Frank Wood, Oscar Wright, Sandra Wright, George Yates, Alphonso Young, and Lonnie Youngblood.
Special thanks are due to photographer John Goddard for digging out his 1965 calendar and documenting the two dates he saw Jimi perform with Little Richard and for the wonderful photos he took. And a sincere thank-you to Kees de Lange, who went beyond the call of duty with his research and suggestion assistance.
We are also very indebted to the following, who further assisted us in our research with documents, interviews, and advice: Nico Bauer, Doug Bell, Mary-Ann Brandon, Michael Fageros, David Ferguson, Chris Fry, Ray Rae Goldman, Chris James, Fred James, Christy Howard, Victor Kahn, Jeff Kaliss, David Kirby, Pete Hoppula, Lee Housekeeper, Oscar Jordan, Preston Lauterbach, Martin Lewis, Paul MacPhail, Megan McFann, Jim ONeal, Bev Moore, Elizabeth Pepin, Brian Poust, Domenic Priore, Joel Selvin, Gary Serkin, Tom Shaw, Roy Simonds, Francine Szymanoski, Allan Taylor, Jon Tiven, Gloria Torrence, Lewis Watts, Narada Michael Walden, Don West, Thomas Yeates, and all the hep cats and kittens at CTT.
The authors wish to sincerely thank renowned Hendrix historians Ken Voss and Caesar Glebbeek for vetting the manuscript.
We need to praise countless research librarians, especially Jodie Fenton at the Seattle Public Library, for their patience and for their ability to answer many requests for books and newspapers on microfilm. During the process of compiling interviews, we sadly lost three important figures shortly after speaking to them. We especially want to acknowledge Johnny Jones, Teddy Acklen Jr., and Kenny Rankin for their fond memories of Jimi.
We also extend our gratitude to our literary agent, Matthew Carnicelli, and Da Capo Press editor Ben Schafer for their advice and encouragement and for their help in making this book a reality.
IN 1967, A RECORD REVIEWER USED THE WORDSROBUST AND HELLISH to describe the unusual sound he heard on Jimis debut LP, Are You Experienced, yet he did not describe how the previously unknown artist coaxed such unworldly vibrations from his guitar. Forty years later, on the anniversary of that timeless recording, I decided to develop an idea I had about Jimis R&B apprentice years into an article. The period always fascinated me, and as far as I was concerned, not enough time was spent in most biographies on the early development of this musical genius.
The spark that ignited the story was reporter Keith Althams unpublished account of Jimis first New York encounter with Chas Chandler, a little over a year before Chandler decided to become his manager. When an article on Jimis 1965 tour with Little Richard blossomed into seven thousand words, I realized it had morphed into a chapter, and I decided to write this book instead.
Next, I set out to interview as many surviving band members, concert eyewitnesses, and Jimis friends and lovers I could find from this time period; surprisingly, many were still around. Id already compiled a fair amount of interviews, but when fellow Hendrix archivist Kees de Lange assisted me, the list grew immensely. Music author/historian Peter Guralnick graciously assisted with his input on the timeline for Jimis R&B years, and we often discussed how and where Jimi joined multiple act tours in the early 1960s. We also owe a great deal of gratitude to Hendrix documentarian David Kramer, Jacob McMurray at Experience Music Project, and Michael Gray at the Country Music Hall of Fame for their enduring support and help in locating many key people for interviews.
Other major breakthroughs came when both Lithofayne Pridgon and Dean Courtney agreed to be interviewed for this book. Faye was Jimis friend and lover from 1963 to 1970 and hadnt discussed Jimi in great detail for many decades. Dean became Jimis close friend shortly after Jimi arrived in New York in 1963, and the two were roommates when the situation called for it. After many face-to-face interviews, e-mails, and lengthy phone calls, their help and assistance filled in many gaps of Jimis time in New York.
Writing a biography on Jimis formative years was no simple task, and I was appreciative when Brad Schreiber decided to come on board as coauthor. Brad has been a valuable writing coach to me over the years, and its been an honor to work with him on this exciting project.
My e-mail contact for any sources with additional information for future updates is lostarchives@yahoo.com. The interested reader can also visit www.steveroby.com to view a schedule of readings and lectures and to sign up for the course I teach on Jimis life and music.
For Francine, A Love Supreme
Steven Roby, February 2010
MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE ELECTRIC GUITAR COULD DOand what popular music could bechanged the day I first heard 3rd Stone from the Sun and Are You Experienced come out of my AM radio.
Im grateful to my friend Steve Roby for giving me the opportunity to cowrite this exploration of Jimis early years and how it made him the person and musical legend he became. It is one thing to work with a preeminent scholar on a biography. It is entirely another thing to find that this expert possesses a deep well of generosity and compassion. Steve made our journey together all the more pleasurable and fulfilling, professionally and spiritually.
Andrea Blackman, when she was in charge of the Civil Rights Room of the main branch of the Nashville Public Library, was indispensable in detailing the early civil rights sit-ins in that city as they related to Jimis participation in them.
I have always felt that the most stirring biographical writing somehow finds a deeper path into the psychology of the subject, and to that end my conversations with three people in particular, David Kramer, Richie Havens, and Jimis brother Leon Hendrix, led me to a more profound understanding.
On a personal note, my longtime literary guru, Jim Parish, again gave me great advice, and considering his vast experience with biographies, I was fortunate to have his counsel.
Our man in London, Richard Edwards, gave us valuable insights regarding British phraseology and Jimis forays into England.
