Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze |
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"Lots of young people now feel they're not getting a fair deal. So they revert to something loud, harsh, almost verging on violence; if they don't go to a concert, they might be going to a riot...he (Hendrix) revolutionized the blues...he took it to another level." --p. 200 Rock Story
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
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Jimi Hendrix grew up in a broken home in Seattle, a half African-American, half native-American. He displayed the mood of the late sixties youth through his psychedelic blues. Jimi grew up listening to blues greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Elmore James. He started out playing backup for poeple like Little Richard and James Brown. He formed "The Experience" in 1966. Hendrix and his band freely used drugs. In fact they felt they needed to be stoned to play well. Many of their songs like "Purple Haze" and "Stone Free" are about drugs and depression. Hendrix had a achieved his distinct electric blues sound by pioneering the use of things like the wah-wah pedal and fuzz box. He is most famous for his harsh, distorted, sound. At the Altamont Festival in 1967 he ended his performance with "Wild Thing" by the Troggs, then doused his guitar in lighter fluid and set it on fire.
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