Jimi Hendrix: The Man, the Magic, the Truth

by Sharon Lawrence

The genius we never understood. . . . The man we never knew. . . . The truth we never heard. . . . The music we never forgot. . . . A revealing portrait of a legend by a close and trusted friend.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[John Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best musical biographies I’ve ever read. Well written by a musical journalist who knew Jimi well. They had mutual respect for each other. The subtitle of the book is well chosen. This is just what Sharon Lawrence gives us here. My attention never wavered for a moment. A very fitting tribute to this genius who died so young. Reading of the murky aftermath of his death I could only feel thankful that this gentle soul was spared witnessing the baseness of so-called human nature.

I would like to hear more of his stuff but the thought of further lining the pockets of the vultures picking over his musical remains is off-putting to say the least.

[Dollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a fan since I was in the 7th grade (my older siblings listened to his music). He died when I was a freshman in high school and I never really knew much about the man and musician until I read this touching biography written by his friend, Sharon Lawrence. What I have always known is that I enjoy his music and he is special to me. He wrote Dolly Dagger for crying out loud!!! How could I NOT love this man? This biography left me feeling that Hendrix had a really hard, sad life. I never knew he’d been in the service or even that he was from Seattle. I learned a lot about him from this biography, like that his name was actually Johnny, and I think Lawrence was a great person to write it. She wasn’t one of his girlfriends and (unlike most other people he knew) she didn’t want anything from him. She was a music reporter and knew him, as well as Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell for several years. She interviewed hundreds of people for this book. What was even sadder to me than his childhood was how his father and stepsister acted after his death. Hendrix was described by everyone in this book as ultra-talented, hard-working and kind. I probably could have learned all that on Wikipedia, but I’m glad I read this biography instead.

[Michelle Schoenhofen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Sharon Lawrence's biography of Jimi Hendrix. I felt it was a very honest account of not only the life of Jimi Hendrix but also the greedy aftermath of his death.

How very sad that the vultures swooped in and cut out Leon, the brother he loved as well as swindled millions from his Experience band mates, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding. How some of these people can live with themselves!

Through this book, I got to know the sensitive, shy, kind and intelligent side of Jimi while understanding the "showman" side of him, too. Jimi Hendrix left this world way too soon. He was such a gifted artist; one can only imagine the kind of career Jimi could have had. If only....

[John Greenwald · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read only one Jimi Hendrix biography, this is the one to read. Sharon Lawrence brings to this book the unique perspective of someone who knew him well and who had a level of access few others could match. Sharon and Jimi were friends, and he trusted her.

It feels like an honest account as Lawrence takes us back to his horrible childhood, which left him ill-equipped to handle stardom, and traces his life as he struggles to find success as a musician before being discovered and turned into a superstar.

Along the way Lawrence introduces us to a sweet, sweet man with staggering talent who was simply devoured by the leaches and hustlers that clung to him like metal shavings to a magnet.

He simply never had a chance.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story
Of life is quicker
Than the wink of an eye
The story of love
Is hello and goodbye
Until we meet again
-Johnny Allen(James Marshall) Hendrix

On the one hand, this is easily one of the best books I've ever read that just happens to be about my guitar hero. On the other hand, I wish I had never picked the book up. One of the worst cases of using and abusing such a good-hearted person I've ever read or heard of.

I had a very hard time reading the end of the book where, 35 years after his death, everyone was still using him. It's hard to believe "family" could treat someone that way, even in death.

[Denisa Ciubotaru · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm amazed by how close to his life I actually got through Sharon. I actually appreciate him more than I did before because of how hard he worked and because of all his sorrow during his childhood. The only part that I wanted to skip but I read anyways was the one with his estate which I'm not interested in.
And if you ask me, yes, I got teary-eyed when I just read that he died.

"A transcendental artist because he seemed to create light on the stage with the music." - Pete Townshend of The Who.

[J.souza · Rating 1 out of 5]

The situations this journalist finds herself in, makes her look more epic than Hendrix himself. It´s like she was pivotal to all of his success.

She was there having private meetings with his agent. She was there giving her thoughts on what move should The Experience do next.

And Jimi told her EVERYTHING.

I mean, could it be possible?Nope. This is too much. It reads more like her biography than his, and with a lot of fantasy in the mix.

[Nicoline · Rating 5 out of 5]

all my tears, all my love to this magnificent person and godlike musician

[Morgan (Turbo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. We get to see an inside look into his life from one of his reporter friends in LA. He talks about how he writes songs, using tones and colors rather than themes. It's amazing.

I decided only to read Part 1 and 2. The last part of the book is all about what happened with his estate--something I'm not at all interested. It's amazing to me that he died at the same age I'm at now, and to think of how much he accomplished. I hope to one day master the guitar as well as he did (but say maybe double his age ~ 52), hahaha.

[Jenna Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book, I loved how it was written by a close friend of jimi's she was able to give us such great insight to the talented kind and beautiful person he really was , I learnt a lot of things about him I had no idea of , very well written , I wasn't keen on the chapters regarding the estate and his family fighting over his money that was quite sad and I don't think necessary but other than that I loved it

[Adrian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apart from the dubious way she depicts herself as central to the Hendrix story, the author loses all credibility when she blithely claims on page 115 that, "[Hendrix] was the first musician to use the studio as another instrument" when making Electric Ladyland in 1968. Even if she means "rock musician", Zappa and the Beatles were renowned for this as early as 1966. I prefer my rock biographers to know something about rock music.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and Kathy Etchingham's book "Through Gypsy Eyes," are the best Hendrix biographies because they were both written by people who really knew Hendrix as personal friends. Also, more detailed information about Jimi's death can be found in Eric Burdon's autobiography, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

[Carlos Hugo Winckler Godinho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Têm umas cem páginas de brigas por direitos autorais que só servem como documento para consulta. Para quem quiser ler, e não se encher da leitura, recomendo que pule do capítulo onde ela descobre que ele morre para o capítulo final.

[Antti Aalto · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a guitarist and a fan of Jimi's music, this was an informative and entertaining read and made me appreciate Jimi even more, both his music and his soul and his love for the guitar. I'm no Hendrix, but I too am a Fender guy and proud of the fact.

[Donna Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely heartbreaking, yet eloquently written firsthand account of the unfortunately short life and times of an incredible rock legend, Jimi Hendrix. In Sharon Lawrence’s recounting of her first meeting and developing friendship with Jimi, she becomes his confidante and gives her readers insight into his lifetime struggles to gain recognition amongst his musician peers and find his place in musical history.

Lawrence takes us on an amazingly poignant journey through his broken childhood, the death of his drug-addicted mother and absentee father, and often being left alone with his younger brother, Leon, to fend for themselves. Despite his humble beginnings, he moved from his home in Seattle to Greenwich Village in New York to be part of the hip musical environment. He cut his teeth playing guitar with several well-known blues musicians in their bands. During one gig in a small café known as Café Wha?, he had a fortuitous meeting with Chas Chandler, former bassist of the World renown band, The Animals. Impressed with Jimi’s charismatic stage presence and powerful guitar-playing prowess, he made Jimi an offer that catapulted him into annuls of musical history forevermore.

This story is an in depth chronicle of an incredibly gifted and most innovative rock and blues guitarist of all times, capturing the highlights and most depressing, chaotic times of his musical career. From the very beginning of his meteoric rise to fame, he is surrounded by relentless fans, drug addicts, unscrupulous managers, lawsuits, and greedy family members, and we as readers come away from his story with a better understanding of the overwhelming price he paid for his fame and so-called “fortune.” Although, we are saddened by the loss of the man and his musical genius, he leaves behind a rich legacy in his music and our lives become more enriched because of the huge impact he made on us in the living years. And to this day, his legend lives on. A must read for all music lovers!

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really makes me envious of the writer. She was a music journalist at arguably the coolest time in history. She knew The Beatles, The Stones, and of course, Hendrix, who she seems to have had a very close, but not romantic/ sexual relationship with.

No one's done a decent biopic of Hendrix to date, but this book would be a perfect way to make it something like Almost Famous, with the journalist catching up with him at various key points in his life. His early life and pre-fame years are also well documented. Sharon and Jimi must've talked at length about his early life, time in the army, and playing with various other bands as a side man, before discovering he belonged front and centre.

The only reason I'm docking this book a star is because it goes on much too long. After Hendrix's death in the book, there's still another hundred pages of the book to go. Now I wouldn't mind a short epilogue chapter about his legacy and how his music has inspired so many players, and continues to do so, but the chapters about the messy struggle for control of Hendrix's estate after his death didn't interest me that much. He was only 27 when he died and didn't leave a will, so his estate went to his next of kin - his dad, but there were claims from girlfriends and two children he fathered along the way as well, so it all got a bit nasty.

I don't mind a bit of a wrap up on that stuff, but 100 pages is way too much. I imagine most people who read this book are fans of Hendrix and his music, not the nuances of contract law.

It's a great book to a point, but when Hendrix dies you can start skimming.

[Irishcoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimi Hendrix: The Intimate Story Of A Betrayed Music Legend by Sharon Lawrence is a book my daughter Kristin gave to me. I think she got it at a library book sale. Any way it was an enlightening but sad book. I remember Jimi Hendrix and believe he is the best guitarist who ever was. I was about 15 when he died and was under the impression he died from a the overdose of a drug like LSD or cocaine. I didn't know anything about his life.

Sharon Lawrence was a friend of his until his death. She recounted his troubled childhood with a mother who died when he was young and a father that basically emotionally abandoned him. When he was old enough to leave home, he did with his guitar. For a long time he played back up for other bands.

When he formed his own band, that's when his troubles began with greedy managers and producers taking up most of his money. Early on, he was talked into signing a horrible contract with the producer from hell who haunted him until he died.

Lawrence reports that Hendrix smoked a little weed but was never into heavy drugs like heroin. He tried LSD once or twice. So he was never the drug fiend I thought he was, based on gossip reports I read back in the day. Also, in spite of his rough and offbeat appearance, he was a shy and decent young man.

I think the coroner ruled his death an accidental death but Lawrence believes it was suicide because he was so depression and despairing in the days leading up to it.

Sad.

[Leonard Bacica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Lawrence says she's been a close friend of Jimi Hendrix, and when that's the case, as a reader it's safer to always question the agenda and potential ulterior motives of the writer. And, of course, how close they actually were to the protagonist.

Sharon Lawrence does seem to be the real deal, however. Third-party sources acknowledge her as a rock'n'roll insider, the credentials are easy to verify and the writing is detached and objective.

This is a really good biography, one that Jimi deserved, perhaps. Written with journalistic detachment, but with an underlying affection for Jimi the man, rather than the artist, it takes the reader close to the action. It transports, rather than recounts, and that is rare for biographies.

As for Jimi himself, his enormous talent is still shining bright for all to see, willingly or unwillingly he was hugely prolific during his short career. But what's not very obvious is how tough he's had it not only growing up, but after he achieved fame as well. A host of people trying to benefit from his talent - including his family - and too few to protect and guide him. His premature death was shocking, but long time in the making.

More than a biography, Jimi's life is a very good, albeit tragic, story.

[Garret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book to learn about Jimi Hendrix and his style, especially the playing with teeth and Woodstock. Neither of those are explained by Sharon Lawrence, but the biography is a clear picture of the type of artist that Jimi Hendrix actually was and not the persona he put on. The novel is deeply personal, touching on everything a good biography should. Rather than telling, Lawrence shows how her relationship with Hendrix operated. You see how the music industry exploited a young black artist from the beginning, all the way to the war over his estate. Lawrence weaves all of this well, showcasing concerts with personal stories about the rock star. You learn his philosophy and feelings on music, something other biography pieces struggle to do. The story does suffer from being too jargon heavy at the end, leading to a final push to get to the end. Additionally, the stories can feel endless at times. Despite the flaws, you learn enough in the book and about the iconic star that the slower pieces seem to go a little faster. A fantastic read, totally worth picking you when you have the chance.

[Britt Marczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book has got to be, hands down, the best and most trustworthy Jimi biography out there. The author not only knew Jimi, but she was one of his only *real* friends. Jimi confided in her, shared things with her he'd never share with others.

Even beyond that, Sharon Lawrence did her research and PUT IN THE WORK. The AMOUNT of people she talked to and got quotes from and information from to compile into this beast of a biography...phew. It's goddamn impressive.

Throughout it all, my heart breaks for Jimi - how he lived, how he died, and how his name has been abused since his death.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes Jimi, music, or wants to learn more about the people behind the rock star image. It's a lonely story, almost every time. I think that spreading Jimi's story - his *truth* - is incredibly important for the history of music.

(Also, seriously, FUCK Janie and FUCK Monika)

[CJ Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning book, a truly close up look at Hendrix by a woman who knew him well, over years. Her tenderness for the guy is very evident, affection like that is so pure. His moods & habits are brilliantly revealed, and so is the tragic exploitation that eventually wrecked his life. That part is hard to read, especially around the astonishing exploits of his life, his fun loving side...one of my favourite pictures is of Hendrix in his London flat, making toast or something with an unplugged Fender round his neck. Such a tragedy.

Spoiler / trigger warning - the next bit is about his death.



Sadly he didn't just pass out & choke as an accident. He was driven to an overdose. He took 9 sleeping pills, 9 being his universal number. Let the universe decide...I was never sure until I read this.

And shame on anybody who thought the spoiler was that he's dead.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was overwhelmed reading in print the exact same impression I had of Jimi. I went to a concert not knowing who he was or of the growing culture of admirers. Jimi’s guitar was part of his body and soul. He and his guitar were sexual but not in a vulgar way. I was in shock witnessing Jimi and over 50 years later, will never forget it.

I completely admire and respect the author that put her heart in this book and I can’t imagine how emotional it must have been to relive both the good times and bad, especially after his death. The greed in taking control of Jimi’s estate was a travesty especially hearing how generous and kind Jimi was. The vultures were everywhere and probably still are today. If there is a heaven, they will all be turned away.

[David Dewata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini menarik karena tidak hanya bercerita tentang kehidupan Hendrix, namun juga bagaimana karya dia diperebutkan oleh keluarga dan kolega untuk bisa dimanfaatkan semaksimal mungkin nilai ekonominya.

Ini yang membuat saya paham banyak sekali rilisan live Hendrix atau “album studio” yang berisi cut-and-paste koleksi rekaman dia di studio —yang bahkan menurut Hendrix sendiri tidak layak tayang ke publik. Namun bisnis adalah bisnis dan karya dia masih banyak yang berminat.

Satu di sini yang masih misteri adalah bagaimana sebenarnya Hendrix meninggal?

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing and sad book from a artist that lived a short life and is know consider the greatest guitar player ever.He was an amazing talent and to hear the stories of how the people that backed him treated him is downright disgusting as so with his family.He deserved so much better and his music has done that.

[Jacob Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

the person captured

It’s rare a biographical book doesn’t so much focus on events but the person. For a book to show the human side of Jimi Hendrix. From the way he treated fans to the way he has a passion and longing to play his music. YouTube has his performances, his talent is in his music. His person is captured in this book.

[Shanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of Hendrix she gave honest raw view of man cut short due to wrong decisions contract, mates and drugs. The girlfriend revelation was very interesting and that angle did make sense. All in all great read

[Barbara Mayers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartfelt

Jimi Hendrix: The True Story of Jimi Hendrix was informative and believable. Sharon Lawrence was sensitive and caring in her telling of his story. I found the explanations of his feelings about his music to be insightful and interesting, and I learned a lot I didn't previously know about Jimi. The shortcomings may have been that she seemed to downplay the drug use and she seemed at times to see him as too nice or naive. Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes biographies, music, or Jimi Hendrix.

[Markku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parasta tässä on se, että kirjoittaja tunsi kohteensa henkilökohtaisesti. Vähemmän hyvää on se, että kirjassa melkeinpä pääosa on oikeussotkujen läpikäymisessä ja musiikki jää lopulta aika lapsipuolen asemaan.

[Sandy Henwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad that they spent more time on fiasco of family after Jimi died than on the man himself. Amazing how family can become so greedy after someone dies. His so called sister should have been forced to prove she was sister, since she was adopted. Amazing guitarist lost too soon.

[All Tomorrow’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly heartfelt and engrossing, shows Jimi as more than an out-of-control rock God (as some books show him to be).

Only one thing, who is Sharon Lawrence? I tried searching her up with no luck, kind of weird.