Customer Reviews

My Son Jimi

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I bought this book yesterday and finished it today. I have always felt, for reasons I could never really explain, that Jimi had a kindred spirit with my own. His father's recollections on Jimi's early life let me know why. I'm so glad Mr. Al Hendrix wrote this book. The lies about Jimi are legion. I remember in the 60's that most of what I heard about him had to do with drugs. It's a real shame that you have to explore a person's life like a detective (in a country with a supposedly "free" press) to find out what they were really like. There is one thing I really liked about the Hendrix family the book revealed; their free and easy interactions with non-blacks. No wonder Jimi's music and message was universal. In a time when blacks and whites seem to be once again withdrawing into their own groups I found the Hendrix family to be very refreshing. Being black myself I totally reject the pressures brought against me to participate only in things stamped with the "black" seal of approval. And I'd like to salute Al Hendrix for being a real father and taking care of his family, even children he didn't sire. A lot of men today wouldn't do what he did. Jimi was very fortunate to have such a father and I think he knew it. Thank you Mr. Hendrix for sharing your life and that of your son with us on a more intimate level. I for one will always love Jimi and hold a fondness for him in my heart. And now for you as well.

I know it's wrong to criticise the dead, but this book is very much written through bright rosey red coloured spectacles. Al was getting on in years when he collaborated on this book and I suspect a lot of it was very much taken from one-to-one chats between Al and his 'ghost writer'; but unfortunately the book appears to have been very much influenced by the step -daughter from hell (and not a blood relative of Jimi)....one Janie Hendrix. Therefore, although Al's early memories of Jimi as a child and early adolescent are interesting and have some value, his assertions that Leon was not his child and how much Jimi was fond of his 'little sister Janie' devalue the rest of the book. Even if Leon was not Al's child, he was Lucille's son and that makes him Jimi's blood half-brother....which is a damn site closer to Jimi than Janie will ever be (he only met Janie on a couple of occasions)...........I suspect that Janie poisoned Al's mind at the time that this book was written with one thing in mind...Al's will and inheritance and the control of Jimi's music...which all spells one word......GREED. Unfortunately her scheming paid off, as Al effectively disowned Leon and gifted more or less evrything to Janie (including the rights to Jimi's music).

Finally, I am sure Al loved Jimi in his own way and I am sure Jimi had some affection for Al, but it is all overplayed in this book and Jimi told a lot of people that Al beat him quite badly when he was growing up and Kathy Etchingham in particular recalls a number of occasions when Al was not exactly a loving father..........however times were very hard for Al and Jimi (and Leon) and it is unfair to be too hard on Al in the early days....and to some degree in later life when I suspect he was slightly senile and therefore very susceptible to Janie's worm tonguery.

I am a Brazilian artist visiting USA!!! I first had a contact with Jimi's life around 1969 when I was 17 y.o.and listened Are You Experienced??? Love in the first sight!!! The night he died I was in a teather in my home town (Belo- Horizonte) when the guitar player of this Wonderful brazilian band( Som Imaginario) came to the stage and did the announcement of Jimi's death and them he played " Power of SOUL" so beautifully that everybody there cried, even those who weren't aware of Jimi's ethereal music!!What a moment!!!I have many items in my collection, varying among posters, books, rare records, magazines, etc, but this book that I read like a prayer took me to the Jimi's soul!! Al's is a great man and deserve to see the image of his son restaured after many people used Jimi's life speculatively!!! Thanks my man for the beautiful words and the sensations that you put on this book!!!!If I stay longer I will go to Seattle to see and feel "Things" that surrounded Jimi!!! Let's fly like a Dragon Flies and catch the spirit of this incredible musician and a sensitive man!!! Thanks Al for raising Jimi the way you did, he's waiting for us one day in his Space ship adorned with Little Wings!!! Peace!!! Gute Brandao.

Al Hendrix, like Jimi, is a humble and gentle man. His story is one of doing the right thing in the face of hard times and temptation. Jimi's life story is told for the first time by someone who really knows the truth. May God bless Al and Jimi for the many gifts they have given this world.

Before Jimi Hendrix was a guitar genius he thought about being a commercial artist. Included in this book are never-before-published pieces of art which young Jimi Hendrix created as a grade school art student. These pieces of art offer a glimpse into the imagination of the young imaginative Jimi and surely will have an effect on anyone who has ever enjoyed Jimi's later accomplishments with a guitar. I enjoyed viewing the transitions Jimi went through as he progressed as an artist. Jimi had to let his vision out somehow and no doubt Al Hendrix helped foster the young man's creative energy. A good read and view.

I'm a very big fan of Jimi's. His guitar playing will never be equal by anyone else. This book brings you the human side of Jimi's childhood and his modest upbringing. I always knew he was a down to eath guy because he always acted very shy when doing interviews and even when talking to people during his concerts. Just listen to his voice, even when he signs he sounds so natural. I never believed all that crap about drugs (I know he did try some, everybody did during that time) but he was no junkie. How can you play the guitar like he did if he was on drugs, to me that would be impossible. All this said, I recommend this book to any fan of Jimi's. Forget about all this speculations about who deserve this and that from Jimi's legacy. The truth to the story is that he came from nowhere and became the best guitar player of his time.

Don't expect to find out a lot about what Jimi thought while he was growing up. It appears that he, like fellow dreamer Bix Beiderbecke, grew up in families that were incapable of understanding the genius in their midst. It is a fascinating read though. One begins to grasp the grinding poverty, familial insecurity, and multiculturalism that shaped James Marshall Hendrix. It is fascinating to explore the human vessels that the universe decides to pour its greatest talent into.
Jimi Henrix was also a very talented songwriter and artist. His penmanship was beautiful. This book shows you the roots of a very sad little boy that mysteriously flowered into one of the most gifted musicians of all time. It makes it doubly sad that he never made it to a secure base in life from which he could look back and give his own perspective on his meteoric career that continues to reverberate with each passing generation.
After this book I suggest 'Room Full of Mirrors' by Charles Cross for the rest of the known story.

when sharon lawrence called al hendrix to plead with him to not make jimi's funeral a spectacle, Mr. Hendrix's first response to her was. do you know how much money he had?

This man was only ever interested in his son as a meal ticket and even 29 years later here he is tryig to make money off his dead genius son. all i can say is shame on you al hendrix!

JOHN HOVING

For years, while reading conflicting opinions by numerous authors of all things Jimi, it seemed natural to wonder what Jimi's dad would have had to say about it. Fortunately, rather than sit back and wonder about it, Jas Obrecht worked with Al Hendrix to get the story told. Of all people, Jimi's father surely had an important story to tell, from a vital perspective - that being the family anchor throughout most of Jimi's often scattered childhood.

"My Son Jimi" is a tender yet objective look into the life of a uniquely gifted soul. The childhood personality traits that Al reveals sync well with what we know of the adult Jimi. With so much known about nearly every breath of his life once he became famous, it's refreshing to hear so many stories and details of Jimi's early days and the events that influenced his view of the world. Al's memory was obviously sharp, as evidenced by the depth of chronological details and his ability to wrap the up-close human perspective into those details. For example, in describing the lean years when money was tight, Al was forced to move from place to place and chase employment opportunities. Al closes the history loop by describing the impact these events had on young Jimi. Likewise, the descriptions of home life when Jimi's mother Lucille was living elsewhere, often with other men, are treated with respect to all, allowing as much dignity to be preserved as possible, even in very undignified circumstances. These touches add a healthy coating of reality and personality that can never be touched upon by an author merely reporting a historical perspective.

I found Al's descriptions of Jimi's music illuminating and intriguing. Obviously, Al was proud of his son's accomplishments, but was still able to hear the music for what it was, with open ears. I believe that his need to be honest and realistic was a key component leading to the success of Experience Hendrix once the family had acquired the Hendrix legacy. Look at it this way - for decades, Alan Douglas had been the caretaker of Jimi's music and although I don't think he was deserving of all of the hateful criticism he received, I do believe he was a puppet in the machine that turned its head away from Jimi's clearly stated intentions of where his music was headed. Al listened to Jimi, for example Jimi's eagerness to work with and appreciation of Eddie Kramer and Al then brought Eddie into the fold to help move the music in the right direction. This was no mistake - it was action motivated by love.

Al's prose is not particularly colorful, nor embellished - instead he speaks economically, to the point and from the heart. This may lead some to criticize this book unfairly, but I believe that the content, honesty and perspective Al has brought forth make My Son Jimi essential reading for those interested in learning the true story of Jimi Hendrix.

Finally!

After all the paste-up jobs, cricital speculation, mythologizing and outright prevarication, fans and critics alike get a book that sets the Jimi Hendrix record straight.

James "Al" Hendrix was more often than not, the only person in the room during Jimi's childhood, and remained (the one consistent fact all the accounts previously published "accounts" agree on)his closest confidante until he died.

In his own words, Al Hendrix tells the story of Jimi's upbringing, his complex family life, and his musical and personal development. There are many recountings of conversations and impression as well as fact. There are reminiscenes of hendrix calling his father when making major decisions, discussing good times, bad times, and just looking for support.

Al Hendrix's motivation was to finally tell the story of Jimi Hendrix before he himself passed away (Mr. Hendrix is 80). And given history of how the Hendrix family has been lied to and stolen from--Al finally won back the recorded musical legacy in 1995--it's no wonder that the story has never been told before.

The most beautiful thing about the text here, is that Obrecht, a respected critic and author, left his own critical baggage and language skills at the door, allowing Al Hendrix to tell his story without prodding or manipulation. The result is an astonishing tale that completely contradicts many accounts. It is true that fans will be astonished by the many new facts, but it will literally stun some members of the family.

The book is illustrated lavishly throughout with photographs--most of which have never been seen--and reproductions of Hendrix's artwork throughout his life.

From the simple words of an elderly man comes the shaping of a musical figure so pervasive, that he influenced, in the same way Bob Dylan did, all the popular music that came after him.

Along with Charles Chaar Murray's wonderful work of music criticism, Crosstown Traffic, My Son Jimi is the personal and historically accurate half of the Hendrix story. Therefore it is indispensable as both literature and cultural document. A truly great, entertaining and at times heart-rending read, in a gorgeously illustrated volume. Isn't this what everybody asks for in a book about a pop music icon?