One of the most iconic figures in rock music Jimi Hendrix may have been murdered, according to claims from a former roadie.
Jimi Hendrix worked as a gigging musician on the so-called chitlin circuit in the United States for years, plying his trade with the Isley Brothers and Little Richard before forming his own group. A residency in New York led to his discovery by the one time Animals bass player Chas Chandler, who flew the guitarist over to London.
Within six months Jimi Hendrix was a star, an unrivalled guitar hero with sensational songwriting skills who seemed to have no limits as an artist. The whirlwind life of the guitarist saw him released three stunning studio albums, give the flower generation it’s most iconic moment at Woodstock before dying at the age of just 27.
The death of Jimi Hendrix robbed the rock world of its brightest talent, just as the musician had begun to craft the album ‘New Rays Of The Rising Sun’ – which may have become his most complete statement.
Since he was found in a hotel room in September 1970, Jimi Hendrix’s death has been hotly debated. At the time, the coroner reported an open verdict citing “barbiturate intoxication and inhalation of vomit” as the cause of death.
However fans have pointed to possible suicide, foul play and even possible Mafia involvement as the conspiracy theories have mounted.
In a new book one time Hendrix roadie James Wright claims the guitarist was murdered by his manager Michael Jeffrey. In his autobiography Wright describes how the manager broke down and confessed to him less than a year after the guitarist’s death.
“I can still hear that conversation, see the man I’d known for so much of my life, his face pale, hand clutching at his glass in sudden rage.”
Wright quotes Jeffrey as saying: “I was in London the night of Jimi’s death and together with some old friends… we went round to Monika’s hotel room, got a handful of pills and stuffed them into his mouth…then poured a few bottles of red wine deep into his windpipe.”
“I had to do it. Jimi was worth much more to me dead than alive,” Jeffrey is quoted as telling Wright. “That son of a bitch was going to leave me. If I lost him, I’d lose everything.”
According to Wright, Hendrix was planning to sack Mike Jeffrey as his manager. Jeffrey had just taken out a massive insurance policy on the life of the guitarist, claims the Mail On Sunday.
Mike Jeffrey died in 1973.
More than thirty years after his death, Jimi Hendrix is still a rock icon. Later this year, newly found tapes featuring the guitarist working on new material are set to be released, giving a fascinating insight into one of the most potent talents of the psychedelic era.
