Timeline Description: Jimi Hendrix is remembered as a great in rock and roll history; however, his life was cut dramatically short. During his 28 years, he revolutionized music, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience remains a key part of the history of music in the 1960s.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 7, 1942 | Johnny Allen Hendrix Born Johnny Allen Hendrix was born in November, 1942. He was the oldest of his parents' five children. His mother was only 17. |
| 1946 | Name Changed Following his father's honorable discharge from the army, Johnny's name was changed to James Marshall Hendrix by his father. |
| 1951 | Parents Divorced In 1951, Hendrix's parents divorced. His father received primary custody of the children, and raised Jimi with the help of his paternal grandmother. |
| 1957 | Saw Elvis Presley Perform By 1957, Jimi's interest in music was growing. He saw Elvis Presley perform at Sicks Stadium that year. |
| 1958 | First Acoustic Guitar Jimi's father bought him his first acoustic guitar, used, from a friend for $5.00 in 1958. |
| 1958 | Mother Died When Jimi was 15, his mother, an alcoholic, died of liver cirrhosis. While he had been raised by his father, Jimi had idolized his mother. |
| 1959 | First Electric Guitar Jimi's father bought him his first electric guitar in 1959, and with friends, Jimi began playing small gigs locally. |
| 1961 | Joined the Army Following some trouble with the law for riding in stolen cars, Jimi was offered the choice of prison or the army. He chose the army, and volunteered as a paratrooper. He was injured in a jump and honorably discharged the following year. |
| 1962 | Career as a Professional Musician Began(1962 to 1965) Between 1962 and 1965, Hendrix worked as a gig and studio musician, working closely with a number of well-known rhythm and blues musicians. |
| 1966 | Jimmy James and the Blue Flames in 1966, Jimi founded Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. The band was short lived, and marked the last time the spelling Jimmy was used. |
| 1966 | Jimi Hendrix Experience Formed In London, Hendrix formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The band would gain rapid success, with chart topping songs by February 1967. |
| 1969 | Jimi Hendrix Experience Broke Up Following a successful American tour, at the height of its popularity, the Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up. |
| August 15, 1969 | Woodstock(August 15 to 17, 1969) Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock, debuting a new band, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows made up of old friends. |
| 1969 | Band of Gypsies Formed(1969 to 1970) After initially debuting as Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, by 1970, Band of Gypsies had formed. Band of Gypsies consisted of Henrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. The group began a tour in 1970. |
| September 18, 1970 | Jimi Hendrix Died On September 18, 1970, Hendrix was found dead in his hotel room in London following an overdose of sleeping pills. |