Jimi Hendrix
b. 1942- d. 1970
Jimi Hendrix was born on November 27th, 1942 in Seattle Washington. Hendrix had a rough childhood due to a strained relationship between his parents but turned to music for help through his hard times. He learned to play guitar when he was sixteen, using a right handed guitar that he flipped upside down because he was left-handed. Hendrix continued to play music after he dropped out of high school in 1959 and worked odd jobs before enlisting in the US Army in 1961. Hendrix’s time in the army was short-lived; he was honorably discharged in 1962 due to “behavior problems”. After leaving the army, Hendrix began pursuing music more seriously and started to make a name for himself, playing backup for famous acts like Sam Cooke and B.B. King. He eventually formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience with Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, and the band released their first single, “Hey Joe,” in 1967. The band toured regularly until their split in 1969. Hendrix continued to work on music until his untimely death in 1970.
Written by Jonina Diele
Digital Archive
Poster art for the Denver Pop Festival in 1969.
Source: Wikipedia
Poster
1969
Poster for
Source: Tumblr
1968
1968
Jimi Hendrix at Regis College Field House
The Jimi Hendrix Experience played a concert at Regis College Field House on Valentine's Day in 1968. Tickets only cost $3. Describing the show, a reviewer for the Rocky Mountain News wrote: "the Experience is where it’s at, whatever ‘it’ is. There is naked, uninhibited, exciting beauty."
Written by Jonina Diele
Jimi Hendrix jams at The Family Dog
After playing a show at the Regis College Field House on Valentine's day in 1968, Jimi Hendrix headed over to The Family Dog. He was said to have jammed with local musicians at the then-thriving venue. Colorado Public Radio writes about Hendrix's visit to the Dog, further explaining that it was "an offshoot of a similar club in San Francisco, so many of the same bands that played in the Bay Area would also perform in Denver," hence Jimi's jam session.
Written by Jonina Diele
1969
Jimi Hendrix at The Denver Pop Festival
In June of 1969, famous concert promoter Barry Fey put together an exceptional event in Denver history--the Denver Pop Festival. The Festival took place at the old Mile High Stadium, and featured great and rising acts at the time, such as Frank Zappa and the Mother of Invention, and Iron Butterfly. Most notably, though, was the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The show was the band's last performance together, and the tensions were high. The tensions were also high among the crowdgoers and police, who used tear gas to control the fans. A Westword article recalls the experience, stating "That night, the band played what would later become FM classic rock station staples: 'Voodoo Chile (Slight Return),' 'Purple Haze' and 'Fire,' plus a pre-Woodstock rendition of 'A Star Spangled Banner,' and the crowd went wild."
Written by Jonina Diele
