Jimi Hendrix 008

The story:

James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix

Birth name, Johnny Allen Hendrix, was born on November 27, 1942.

Hendrix was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as “arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music”.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. In 1961, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division; he was granted an honorable discharge the following year. Soon afterward, he moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, and began playing gigs on the Chitlin’ Circuit, earning a place in the Isley Brothers’ backing band and later with Little Richard, with whom he continued to work through mid-1965. He then played with Curtis Knight and the Squires before moving to England in late 1966 after being discovered by Linda Keith, who in turn interested bassist Chas Chandler of the Animals in becoming his first manager. Within months, Hendrix had earned three UK top ten hits with the Jimi Hendrix Experience: “Hey Joe”, “Purple Haze”, and “The Wind Cries Mary”.

He achieved fame in the U.S. after his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and in 1968 his third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland, reached number one in the U.S.; it was Hendrix’s most commercially successful release and his first and only number one album. The world’s highest-paid performer, he headlined the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 before his accidental death from barbiturate-related asphyxia on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27.

-credit Wikipedia

March 31, 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience kicks off their first UK Tour as part of a month-long packaged tour featuring The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Californians, The Quotations, and MC Nick Jones. The first night featured The Experience performing two-sets. Hendrix managed to seal the spotlight on this night, as he lit fire to his guitar during “Fire.” “It was a strange situation,” explains music reviewer Keith Altham. “because it took him a little while to get it alight. He was having to dodge behind the amplifiers on the stage with a box of matches and it wasn’t going up. Eventually, he did get it going and it sort of took off quite spectacularly. The security guy in the wings was going bananas and trying to rush onstage with a fire extinguisher. Eventually, he did and managed to spray the compere [emcee], we was not too amused. When we came back to the dressing room afterwards all hell broke loose.” “The security guy said, ‘You’ll never work in this circuit again! He’ll never play again at any of these theatres. How dare he do something like that? He could have burned the place down. What did he mean by swinging it around his head?’ Jimi said, ‘Well, I was trying to put it out.’” It was performance stunts like this that quickly earned Hendrix the moniker “The Black Elvis” and “Wild Man of Borneo.”

-credit jimmihendrix.com

The artwork:

Each illustration is tied to a non-profit fund raiser. The first print of this Jimi Hendrix illustration was sold in a silent auction to benefit the Leukemia Society during the 2016 Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally. The Fundraiser was held at Cindy’s Gone Hog Wild in Garfield, Texas, organized by a couple whose 10 year-old son had recently been diagnosed.

Digital Print on Archival Matte – Original illustration done in graphite and the following Prisma Colors: Violet(purple) after the song, “Purple Haze”; Orange to compliment and contrast the purple; and Grass Green because in the drawing, he should be holding a joint in his hand.
Artist: Tobin Bortner of Bastrop, Texas – drawing done in March of 2016 – ©Tobin Signs/Look Closer Illustrations

DERIVATIVE Work – photo credit: Backstage Saville Theatre 1967blackcablondon.net

What you get:
$40 (36.95 + 3.05 tax)
11 x 14 Print Package with Authenticity Sheet
signed and numbered (run of 500)
Domestic Priority Mail $8 (Free shipping)