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Jimi Hendrix: A Life from Beginning to End

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Jimi Hendrix took the world of rock music to new heights, and it has never really come back down. Meet the man who single-handedly changed the face of modern music. In this book you will find the story of Hendrix’s life in full detail—from his childhood to his stint in the U.S. military to his time as an international superstar. We will discuss the man, the myth, and the legend, Jimi Hendrix.

Inside you will read about...
✓ Extraterrestrial Encounter
✓ Running from Welfare Workers
✓ Jimi Joins the Army
✓ The Jimi Hendrix Experience
✓ Hendrix at Woodstock
And much more!

42 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2019

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Hourly History

758 books884 followers
At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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5 stars
138 (41%)
4 stars
102 (30%)
3 stars
67 (20%)
2 stars
18 (5%)
1 star
8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for RM(Alwaysdaddygirl).
456 reviews64 followers
August 28, 2019
Interesting!

This was a short history book. I only know a little about Jimi Hendrix. I gave it 5 stars for it was interesting. It was also sad. However, many of the Jimi Hendrix's quotes was like a light to the tunnel in dealing with the sad parts.

I recommend this book for music and history lovers. Even if this music is not part of one taste, Jimi did play in Woodstock. Woodstock will always be part of our USA history. History is always important. History is interwoven into every subject. I will read this book again.
Profile Image for Ronald Keeler.
846 reviews37 followers
May 4, 2019
Jimi Hendrix is a production of Hourly History. The publishers have a signature subtitle, “A Life from Beginning to End.” The title varies a bit when the subject of the examination is an event or an era. This work is Book 2 in a Biographies of Rock Stars series. Designed to be read in an hour or under, books published by Hourly History fascinate me as they explore lesser-known facts of material many readers consider they know everything about. How will this presentation surprise me?

I am a passive consumer of the offerings the entertainment industry provides. I do not follow tabloids; I am not an ardent fan, or groupie, of anyone. My knowledge of Jimi Hendrix was limited to “everyone knows.” Everyone knew that his music was different. Everyone knew he took lots of drugs and probably had lots of female companionship; there may have been male fans as well. His lifestyle didn’t matter to “us,” the fans if the music was entertaining. It didn’t entertain everyone, of course. There were some fans and non-fans, of all ages, who took exception to a Hendrix interpretation of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Hendrix was a baby boomer, like me. He grew up in a single parent household in the early nineteen forties because father Al was off to war in Europe. The single parent family was not a happy one because the single parent, Lucille, was absent a lot, frequently in the company of other men. Her absences happened so much that when Al returned from the war, he was unsure of the paternity of Jimi. It didn’t help that Lucille had named Jimi after a man known by Al to be one of her “main” lovers.

Home life never left the area of “rough.” Al had periods of good and bad employment. When good, he was away from home a lot. When bad, he hid in alcohol a lot. The net effect was that if Jimi had to describe parental figures, he might include grandma and a couple of aunts. At least he didn’t have to include social services as four of his siblings was forced to do. Al had turned them over to the state when he could not afford the specialized medical care they needed.

Jimi survived the teenage years and even joined the US Army. True, it was under duress, a choice between jail and the military, but he did excel in the Army by becoming one of their elite soldiers, a paratrooper. Discharged for medical, not disciplinary, reasons, Hendrix went on to pursue the music career for which he was famous.

This novel offers a possible explanation for the Hendrix ambidextrous ability to play guitar. I will leave that for the reader to discover and not reveal a possible “spoiler.” This series of books is always good and serves as a motivation for the casual observer to do further research. Prices vary for Hourly History novels on the Amazon site. Subscribing directly to the Hourly History website will lead to weekly emails offering publications for free. Clicking a link will lead to an Amazon site where the novels are offered free or through the Kindle Unlimited subscription system.

Think of these as a fun challenge. How much do you know about the subject of these one-hour surveys? I try to read at least one of these weekly. It relieves the guilt over all the time I spend reading less “legitimate” fiction.


Profile Image for D. Thrush.
Author 14 books165 followers
October 18, 2020
At 42 pages, I think there was a lot left out of this short Jimi Hendrix biography. He had a sad impoverished early life with alcoholic parents. His siblings were either adopted or in foster care and he and his brother were shuffled around to relatives at times. He was obsessed with music and taught himself to play guitar once he got his hands on one. He was truly gifted but found success in England before the US. Unfortunately, he died too young as have other musicians of that time. The books in this series sometimes feel scattered.
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,336 reviews2,369 followers
November 29, 2019
It was more about his parents

Jimi Hendrix:A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History discusses his parents and their fighting for 60% of the book. His musical career was relatively brief but I think there was more to say than what was presented.
Profile Image for Terri.
929 reviews14 followers
May 5, 2019
I've read a number of these One Hour Biographies now and I think this is one of the better ones I have read. I was pulled in to the story of his circumstances as an infant and I felt great sympathy for what the child suffered. I was amazed that such a tragic childhood and difficult family circumstances resulted in Jimi Hendrix's tremendous talent to emerge almost magically, without formal training. He truly was an incredible mix of great tragedy and great luck, being in the right place at the right time for his stardom to soar and then his life came to an unexpected and abrupt end. His life's story really is mind blowing.
4,022 reviews21 followers
November 4, 2019
What an incredibly tragic story.  From the first page to last, Jimi's story is unique.  After reading this book, I went over to YouTube to listen to some of his music.  Untrained, Jimi had an amazing talent that shines through.  Although everyone might not have approved of his interpretation of  “The Star-Spangled Banner,” one has to admit that it is unique.
 
Although I didn't watch Jimi's career as it unfolded (he was a bit too experimental for my tastes), I remember when he died.  People talked about it for days.  This particular story grabbed me, as the reader, from the first page.  Well done, Hourly History.
3,198 reviews26 followers
November 3, 2019
A HH. Musical Trail of Jimi Hendricks (JM) (ALFBTE) (BORDB -2)

HH. has presented a life line of one of the classical rock star guitar player. Jimi Hendrix. I do belirve JH wad a fantastic guitar player. However, do to his demise he was never able to prove exactly how good he was. I was fortunate to ser him in Monterey and at Woodstock where he put on a guitar exposition like no other. It was unfortunate that he passed at such an early age. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
Profile Image for David Macleod Pollock.
10 reviews
May 10, 2019
"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music." - Jimi Hendrix
This brief encounter with the life of Jimi Hendrix was a most interesting read. Hourly History books are an excellent way of becoming acquainted with those who are the makers of history.
To read how how Jimi made his way into the music scene was a wonderful refresher for me. As a Hendrix contemporary his music and that of other 60's musicians was my life.
1,621 reviews23 followers
December 2, 2023
- His childhood was more traumatic than I thought.

- I didn't realize that he first gained fame in the UK.

It's such a strange feeling reading the biography of someone who died at age 27.

The simple fact of having accomplished enough by age 27 to be on the same level as people who had careers 10 times longer is crazy.

But on a human level there is such a sense of sadness as you know they will be cut down before they've really even begun.
Profile Image for Jean.
831 reviews26 followers
September 24, 2019
A brief but bold life

Jimi Hendrix was a man of amazing talent and not always good judgement, who made music his own. He will be long remembered as a genius with a guitar, especially in Seattle. This book shares the briefest of his biography, whetting the appetite for more information.
269 reviews3 followers
November 10, 2019
What a start!

Hendrix's family life as a child was remarkable. But, he survived it and went on to prosper. Like all other books on this series, it's well researched, written in a conversational style, and leaves me wanting to know more. I have often wondered what Jimi would be doing now, seeing the arc of Clapton 's and Rod Stewart's careers. What a shame that he died so young.
53 reviews1 follower
January 17, 2020
Facts are good., I guess. Written like a term paper, there is no style to the writing. So this was no fun to read, but maybe if you want a quick fact list, this would be ok. I could have gotten all of this from Wiki, though. I wouldn't bother to get biographies from this "Hourly History" series if I wanted to get any real feelings about the subject.
Profile Image for David Parker.
494 reviews10 followers
April 19, 2020
Band of Gypsy’s

“I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to."

I was station Fort Devens a month after Woodstock and then transferred to Berlin Germany a week after his first and last performance of his European tour.

I and no else would ever see him perform again.
Profile Image for Dave.
76 reviews2 followers
August 17, 2019
How tough did this guy have it in his early year's, I'd say tougher than Charles Manson and look how differently they turned out!?!
Highly missed talented guy 😢😢😢

P.S. It will be exactly 50 years tomorrow since Woodstock 😮
62 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2020
Musical phenomenon

To be honest, I don't think I have ever listened with any intent to any of Jimi Hendrix works. However, his life story is predictably fascinating. I do love music, and am extremely fascinated, as to the reasoning behind such creative geniuses.
52 reviews
October 29, 2020
Are you experienced?

Another young talent gone. Much conflict in Jimi's early life that carried over into his later life. This book was a good intro to the life of Jimi Hendrix. A quick read. I may do some further reading on the short life of a great talent.
Profile Image for Livey.
1,473 reviews
February 20, 2024
A lot of details about Jimmy Hendrix’s early family life were revealed. I will look for other books on him because the last couple of pages regarding his activities before he died were too vague. I still appreciate the information I learned immensely.
Profile Image for Hyacinth.
2,144 reviews16 followers
August 5, 2024
Wow

Overdosed at 27 years old? Father! The struggle and the pain to get to fame only to be cut short because channeling the pain through the music just wasn't enough.

I love how Hourly History gives you vignettes of information without fluff. I love this.
53 reviews
September 20, 2019
Jimi Hendrix

I found this very informative and interesting. I always loved his music but never knew his family history. Thank you for this book it was very interesting.
562 reviews5 followers
Read
December 30, 2019
Review i

This was an interesting read.I have always loved Jimi Hendrix guitar playing. I never knew he had such a sad childhood.
1 review
January 5, 2020
Quick read

Mostly about his life before fame, centering on his childhood. It's too short to be real informative, just a quick telling of his life.
4 reviews
October 27, 2020
Very interesting

I thought this book was very interesting. It have me insight to the man Jimi was. A good well written book.
Profile Image for Star Gater.
1,956 reviews62 followers
December 31, 2020
Knew little about him. The story flowed well. The emphasis on his childhood and family was new to me.
644 reviews
April 10, 2021
A quick read. I always enjoy reading about the REAL life of someone I'm familiar with.
TEhanks
Profile Image for Rubin Carpenter.
691 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2021
A great start to Hendrix

This was an eye opening Bio to the life of jimi. Hendrix sad powerful but the music that came from it memorable
Profile Image for Robin Dix.
753 reviews
February 22, 2022
Enlightening but I wish the book would have skipped his younger years. I feel there was more to know and learned by his later years. A tragedy that he died so young.
22 reviews
March 19, 2023
Quick insight

A short bio as some in this series of books are but still informative, first one I read was the biography of Elvis.
1,243 reviews11 followers
March 22, 2023
I didn't know much of his story, but I do now. Makes me wonder just how great he would have gotten if he hadn't passed so soon. But the great one don't really die do they.
Profile Image for Barry Jenkins.
359 reviews5 followers
March 19, 2025
Sad

Just another lost soul to drugs and alcohol ..... ...... How many more will lose their lives to these enemies of anyone that wants to play with them ??
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews