James Hendrix Writes On Jimi

"Yeah, dad, I'm gonna be famous one of these days."

"Hurry up," I told him, "I'm getting tired of working!" James A. Hendrix remembers this exchange between himself and his son, Jimi Hendrix.

What sounds like an autobiography, My Son, Jimi resembles more of a personal memoir of James A. Hendrix. Fory or so pages of elaboration are made on James Hendrix' parents and growing up. The latter hundred and forty or so are devoted to memories of what it was like as a single father, the wives and women of Hendrix, Sr., and as the father of Jimi.

Jimi is captured as a regular guy working the small-time gigs toward his big break in the music biz. While waiting he travels various avenues, working in the lawncare business and joining the army.

Once the ball began to roll for Jimi he played the "chitlin circuit" with the likes of The Isley Brothers, backed the Supremems on a record and joined Little Richard on tour. According to Hendrix Sr., Richard comments on what it was like working with his son. "I'd be down there just doing my thing and people were cheering and clapping. I'd find out they were all clapping for Jimmy back there."

Jimi and the stories of drug use come with a slant of fatherly optimism. Michael Jeffery, Jimi's agent at the time, was a thorn in his side. Hendrix points the finger to Jeffery as the 'cut-throat' leaking stories of Jimi's drug use to the press. Hendrix even mentions Jeffery's name in connection with the kidnapping of his celebrity son.

My Son, Jimi accomplishes what most autobiographes do not without deying his son's talent.Jimi is taken from his psychodelic doped up god of rock and guitar pedistal and shone in a light of a more human and down to Earth person. Accompanied by personal family photos, this profile was meant to be told. Possibly with more focus on the title subject.

Those unaquainted with Jimi Hendrix and die-hard fans can endulge in this portrait of the real man, although fans will have to search into another book to find details into the guitarist death. $29.95 from AlJas Enterprises, L.P. 1999

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