Striking Strings: Top 12 Extraordinary Fun Facts About Jimi Hendrix You Never Knew

1. From Trash to Treasure

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and for a young Jimi Hendrix, that treasure came in the form of a not-so-worn-out guitar string: At the age of 15, Jimi scraped up enough money to buy his first acoustic guitar for a whopping five dollars, paving the way for his legendary career by practicing tirelessly to the tunes of Muddy Waters and BB King.
Source => algambenelux.be

2. Broom Guitar Beginnings

Before Jimi Hendrix swept the world off its feet with his guitar skills, he was busy sweeping the floor and rocking out with a broom - a performance that wasn't exactly music to his father's ears: As a child, Jimi often pretended a broom was his guitar, engaging in playful acrobatics that led to punishments from his dad. Despite this, he remained enamored with music and would later trade his bristled bandmate for a real guitar, paving the path to his legendary musical career.
Source => nme.com

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3. Lemmy Kilmister's Hendrix Connection

In the great hall of rock 'n' roll, where the faces of gods gaze down from Mount Amp-and-Olympus, one roadie had the backstage pass to legendary guitar-soaked Valhalla: Lemmy Kilmister had the golden ticket to Jimi Hendrix's incendiary displays of musical sorcery. Theories posit that he learned more than just how to keep the beat from Jimi; he became a master of the art of "pharmaceutical discovery" under the tutelage of the guitar deity: As a roadie for Hendrix, Lemmy found himself privy to witnessing performances on a 12-string Epiphone, which Hendrix had ingeniously restrung to a six-string, and whilst the duo never partook in substance-based merriment together, their unspoken bond lives on in the indelible echelons of rock history.
Source => faroutmagazine.co.uk

4. Supro Ozark: The First Electric Guitar

Once upon a strum in the electric jungle, a legendary axeman was tamed by a beast named Supro Ozark 1560S: This was the first electric guitar owned by Jimi Hendrix, gifted by his father in 1958 and paving the way for him to join The Rocking Kings, kickstarting his legendary and innovative guitar-playing career.
Source => jimihendrix.com

5. The Teeth-Strumming Showman

Jimi Hendrix was like a dentist of rock history, extracting the essence of music with his teeth – flossing along the frets of his guitar like a true dental legend: Jimi Hendrix famously played his guitar using his teeth during his performances, a skill he acquired while playing with R&B show bands before skyrocketing to fame. This dazzling dental dexterity, paired with his behind-the-back and between-the-legs solo techniques, left audiences in awe and inspired generations of guitarists to come.
Source => musicradar.com

6. Parachuting to Guitar Stardom

Before he was shredding guitar strings, he was strapped to parachute strings: Jimi Hendrix served as a parachute infantryman in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, picking up the guitar during his military service and setting the stage for his legendary career in music.
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7. The Ambidextrous Guitar Hero

Like a groovy switch-hitter equipped with six strings instead of a bat, Jimi Hendrix had quite the magical ambidextrous touch when it came to rocking out on the guitar: While primarily using his right hand for daily tasks, he masterfully wielded his left hand for making sweet, sweet music, often reconfiguring right-handed guitars to suit his southpaw style, revolutionizing the way the electric guitar was played, and inspiring generations of performers.
Source => musicianshalloffame.com

8. The Guitar Wizard's Spellbook

Jimi Hendrix, the guitar wizard who could've easily put Harry Potter out of business with his magical strumming: His impressive skills and innovations on the electric guitar popularized the use of guitar amplifier feedback, effects units like fuzz tone, Octavia, wah-wah, and Uni-Vibe, and stereophonic phasing, all achieved during a short four-year mainstream career that cemented him as a legendary rock icon.
Source => guitar-compare.com

9. Clapton's Lightning Bolt Moment

In a world where guitar gods wage epic battles, Jimi Hendrix unleashed his secret weapon and left Eric Clapton thunderstruck like Zeus with his lightning bolt misplaced: Hendrix performed an awe-inspiring rendition of "Killing Floor" with Clapton's own band, Cream, prompting an amazed Clapton to leave the stage and allow Jimi to keep shredding for the dazzled spectators - a moment immortalized in a snippet from the BBC documentary Seven Ages of Rock.
Source => historyvshollywood.com

10. Self-Taught Prodigy

Who needs a musical diploma when you've got the Midas touch and ears like a bat? Jimi Hendrix certainly didn't: He was primarily self-taught, learning to play guitar by ear with only a brief stint of lessons from Bertrand Dunn, who was quickly outshined by Hendrix's impressive progress. The legendary musician went on to sharpen his skills through listening to records and jamming with fellow artists, creating an iconic style unmatched by any formal education.
Source => hellomusictheory.com

11. The Southpaw Jedi's Stratocaster

Like a legendary southpaw Jedi wielding a Stratocaster lightsaber, Jimi Hendrix redefined rock 'n' roll's sonic galaxy: Known for playing his left-handed, upside-down Fender Strat, Hendrix even restrung his guitars for his unique style, creating a distinct sound that established him as a musical trailblazer—check out the evidence at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which houses two of his iconic flipped creations.
Source => cleveland.com

12. From Isley Brothers to Psychedelic Legend

Before Jimi Hendrix went on to create iconic, psychedelic guitar riffs, he had a brief encounter with the "Twist and Shout" life: Turns out, the legendary Hendrix played as a backing guitarist for the Isley Brothers in the mid-1960s. He wowed the band with his lefty guitar skills, joining their touring group, the I.B. Specials, and earning $30 a night. But the Isleys' dress code didn't strike a chord with Hendrix, who left after recording a couple of singles. They still maintained a good relationship, with Jimi even offering to re-record any parts he may have played incorrectly.
Source => rollingstone.com