JIMI AND ME

The unexpected story of how Jimi Hendrix collaborated with a little-known indie filmmaker burrows through numerous subcultures to reach a surprisingly universal relationship at its core.

Writing with veteran journalist Epting, Stathakis recounts how he was called to meet Hendrix in Manhattan in 1969. At that time, he was still trying to establish himself as a writer, producer, and photographer, and Hendrix was a superstar. “Purple Haze” had become an anthem, Electric Ladyland was a top-selling album, and his Monterey Pop Festival performance was captured in an influential documentary. Hendrix was interested in developing a film of his own and thought Stathakis would be a good possibility based on his movie Awakening Urge. They immediately hit it off and began work on a Western-styled movie called Avril. The film would have no dialogue but would use Hendrix’s score and guitar solos to punctuate the action on the screen. Unfortunately, they never finished it—an outcome that didn’t surprise Hendrix’s assistant. “She accused me of refusing to accept the fact that Jimi had more important things to concern himself with than some side project that he’d come into on a whim,” writes the author. “The fact that I was still in his life on some level surprised her. She’d thought it would last a week or two and Jimi would tire of it—get bored or distracted and move on to something else.” Regardless, their connection gave Stathakis an insider’s view of Hendrix’s life—creative process, relationships, management issues, and how he navigated the tumultuous 1960s as a Black artist—as well as historic events like Woodstock. The author’s observations are probably more valuable than anything Hendrix revealed in their conversations, especially given the guitar legend’s reticence to discuss his personal life.

A firsthand account of Hendrix’s momentous final year provides an entertaining glimpse into rock history.