Death of Jimi Hendrix

On September 18, 1970, the American musician Jimi

Hendrix died in London, aged 27 years. One of the most
inuential guitarists of the 1960s, the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame describes him as arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.[1]
In the days before his death, Hendrix had been in poor
health, due in part to fatigue caused by overworking,
a chronic lack of sleep, and an illness assumed to be
inuenza-related. Insecurities about his personal relationships and disillusionment with the music industry had
also contributed to his frustration. Although the details
of his nal hours and death are disputed, Hendrix spent
much of his last day with Monika Dannemann. During the morning of September 18, she found him unresponsive in her apartment at the Samarkand Hotel, 22
Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill. She called for an ambulance at 11:18 a.m., and he was taken to St Mary Abbots Hospital where an attempt was made to resuscitate
him. He was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m.

Hendrix on stage in 1967

two pending lawsuits, one a paternity case and the other

a recording contract dispute that was due to be heard
by a UK High Court the following week.[3][nb 1] He was
also troubled with wanting to leave his manager, Michael
Jeery. Hendrix was fatigued and suering from poor
health, due in part to severe exhaustion caused by overworking, a chronic lack of sleep, and a persistent illness
assumed to be inuenza-related.[6] Lacking trusting personal relationships, his insecurities about the future and
disillusionment with the music industry contributed to his
frustration.[7]

The post-mortem examination concluded that Hendrix

aspirated his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates. At the inquest, the coroner,
nding no evidence of suicide and lacking sucient evidence of the circumstances, recorded an open verdict.
Dannemann stated that Hendrix had taken nine of her
prescribed Vesparax sleeping tablets, 18 times the recommended dosage.

On September 11, 1970, Hendrix gave his nal interview

in his suite at the Cumberland Hotel in London, where
he talked with Keith Altham, a journalist for Record
Mirror.[8] During the interview, Hendrix conrmed reports that Billy Cox, the bass player in his band, The
Jimi Hendrix Experience, was leaving.[8] Cox, who had
been suering from severe exhaustion and was exhibiting symptoms of paranoia, mutually agreed with Hendrix that they should suspend their plans to collaborate
musically.[9] When Altham asked Hendrix: Do you feel
any kind of compulsion to prove yourself as King Guitar, Hendrix replied: No, I don't even let that bother
me. Because they say a lot of things about people that,
if they let it bother them, they wouldn't even be around
today ... King Guitar now? Wow, thats a bit heavy.[10]
Altham also suggested that Hendrix invented psychedelic
music, to which he laughed and replied: A mad scientist
approach ... I don't consider [my music] the invention of
psychedelic, its just asking a lot of questions.[11]

On October 1, 1970, Hendrix was interred at Greenwood

Cemetery in Renton, Washington. In 1992, his former
girlfriend Kathy Etchingham asked British authorities to
reopen the investigation into his death. A subsequent inquiry by Scotland Yard proved inconclusive, and in 1993,
they decided against proceeding with the investigation.

Background

The American musician Jimi Hendrix (born November

27, 1942) was one of the most inuential guitarists of the
1960s.[2] His Rock and Roll Hall of Fame biography says
he was arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music. Hendrix expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar into areas no musician had
ever ventured before. His boundless drive, technical ability and creative application of such eects as wah-wah
and distortion forever transformed the sound of rock and The following day, Hendrix received a phone call from
roll.[1]
one of his girlfriends, Devon Wilson, who had become
During the week before his death, he was dealing with jealous after hearing rumors that he was dating another
1

FINAL HOURS

the Samarkand Hotel, 22 Lansdowne Crescent, Notting

Hill.[13][nb 2]
During the afternoon of September 15, Hendrix was
asked by his friend Eric Burdon, formerly of the Animals,
if he wanted to participate in a jam session at Ronnie
Scotts Jazz Club with Burdons newly formed band, War.
Hendrix accepted, but when he arrived at the club that
evening, he was not allowed to play due to his apparently
drug-related disorientation. Burdon commented: Jimi
came down and was well out of it. He ... was wobbling
too much to play, so I told him to come back the following
night.[5] Hendrix returned the next night and presented
a healthier appearance. The crowd was enthusiastic and
impressed by his performance despite his uncharacteristically subdued guitar playing when he sat in with War on
"Tobacco Road" and "Mother Earth". This was the last
time Hendrix played guitar in public.[15][nb 3]

2 Final hours
2.1 Late morning and early afternoon
The Experience in 1968

woman, Kirsten Nefer. Nefer recalled: I heard Jimi

talk to Devon ... she was mad ... she went into ts
... Jimi said 'Devon, get o my back'".[12] Hendrix was
scheduled to perform in Rotterdam on September 13, but
the show, along with three others, was cancelled due to
Coxs incapacitation.[4] During the evening of September 13, Nefer visited Hendrix at the Cumberland. After
informing him that she would have to go back to work
that evening, he convinced her to phone her boss, actor George Lazenby, and ask for the night o. Lazenby
became angry and shouted over the phone to Nefer:
You're nothing but a fucking groupie, which Hendrix
overheard.[4] The exchange upset him, and he told Nefer:
Don't you ever go out to that guy again.[4] Nefer explained to him that she had spent six months working on
a lm with Lazenby and that she did not want to quit her One of the last photographs of Hendrix, at the Samarkand Hotel,
job; Hendrix eventually agreed.[4] Nefer spent the night September 17, 1970[17]
with him and left in the morning.[13]
Hendrix spent most of the early afternoon and evening of Although the details of Hendrixs last day and death
of
September 14 discussing his career plans with the record are unclear and widely disputed, he had spent much[18]
Monika
Dannemann.
September
17
in
London
with
producer Alan Douglas. In the early morning hours of
September 15, he went to Londons Heathrow Airport He awoke late that morning at Dannemanns apartment
with Douglas, who was returning to New York.[13] Hen- in the Samarkand Hotel. By around 2 p.m., he was sitdrixs condante Sharon Lawrence was in London, and ting in a garden area outside the apartment enjoying some
spoke with him that day. Lawrence commented: Jimi tea while she took photographs of him holding his faStratocaster guitar that he called the black
tracked me down, detailing his pressures and discussing vorite Fender
[19]
beauty.
In
the opinion of author Tony Brown, Jimi
[13]
the 'so-called friends. He was jittery and angry. Acdoesn't
look
particularly
healthy in these photographs: his
cording to Lawrence, Hendrix told her: I can't sleep. I
face
seems
a
little
puy
and
on only a few of the pictures
[13]
Later that afternoon,
can't focus to write any songs.
[20][nb 4]
does
he
attempt
to
smile.
his girlfriend Monika Dannemann arrived at the Cumberland. She and Hendrix then drove to her apartment in According to Dannemann, by 3 p.m.

they had left

2.3

Early morning

the apartment to use a bank. They continued on to

Kennington Market, where Hendrix signed an autograph
for a young boy, purchased a leather jacket, and ordered some shoes.[23] He also briey spoke with his exgirlfriend Kathy Etchingham, inviting her to visit him at
his hotel that evening at 8 p.m.; she declined the invitation due to prior engagements and later admitted that
she had regretted it ever since.[24] Hendrix and Dannemann then went to a Chelsea antiques market, where
Hendrix purchased more clothing.[24] After another stop
to buy writing paper, which he used to compose his nal
lyrics, Dannemann and Hendrix drove to his suite at the
Cumberland Hotel, meeting Devon Wilson as she walked
down Kings Road. Hendrix asked Dannemann to stop
the car so that he could get out and talk with Wilson,
who invited Hendrix to a party that evening.[24] Dannemann became jealous, giving Wilson a cold stare during the brief meeting.[25] Later, Phillip Harvey invited
Dannemann and Hendrix to tea; they accepted. Prior
to their arrival at Harveys, they briey stopped by the
Cumberland.[26][nb 5]

3
possible way.[35] Approximately 30 minutes later, Hendrix re-entered the at and apologized for the outburst
before leaving with Dannemann at 10:40 p.m.[33] Dannemann said she then prepared a meal for them at her
apartment around 11 p.m. and shared a bottle of wine
with Hendrix.[36] Sometime after returning to the apartment, Hendrix took a bath, then wrote a poem titled The
Story of Life.[37]

2.3 Early morning

At approximately 1:45 a.m. on September 18, Dannemann drove Hendrix to the party Wilson had invited him
to earlier that day, which was hosted by Hendrixs acquaintance and business associate, Pete Cameron. At
the party, Hendrix complained to Cameron about business problems, ate some food, and took at least one
amphetamine tablet.[37][nb 9] Approximately 30 minutes
later, Dannemann rang the ats intercom asking for Hendrix. Another guest, Stella Douglas, asked her to return
later. According to guest Angie Burdon, the estranged
wife of Eric Burdon of the Animals, when Dannemann
came back around 15 minutes later, Douglas used an assertive approach with her to the point of being impolite. Undeterred, Dannemann demanded to speak with
Hendrix. Burdon recalled: "[Hendrix] got angry because [Dannemann] wouldn't leave him alone.[37][nb 10]
According to Burdon, other guests at the party shouted
out the windows at Dannemann, asking her to leave.[40]
Hendrix eventually yielded and spoke with Dannemann
before unexpectedly leaving the party around 3 a.m.[37]

While at the hotel, Hendrix made several telephone calls.

Dannemann said he phoned his lawyer Henry Steingarten, asking him to nd a way out of his contract with
his manager Mike Jeery, and producer Eddie Kramer,
for whom Hendrix left a voice message.[26][nb 6] Mitch
Mitchell said that he called Hendrix at the Cumberland
on September 17, after having been asked to do so by
tour manager Gerry Stickells, who had spoken to Hendrix
just minutes earlier.[28][nb 7] Mitchell said that during the
phone conversation Hendrix agreed to join him around
midnight at the Speakeasy Club for a previously arranged
Dannemann, the only eyewitness to Hendrixs nal hours,
jam session, which included Sly Stone.[30][nb 8]
said that sometime after 3 a.m., she prepared two tuna
sh sandwiches for them.[41] Around 4 a.m., Hendrix,
struggling with insomnia after having consumed am2.2 Late afternoon and evening
phetamines hours earlier, asked her for sleeping tablets.
After stopping at the Cumberland, Hendrix and Dan- She later said she refused his request hoping he would fall
nemann accompanied Harvey to his apartment, arriv- asleep naturally.[42] Dannemann said she surreptitiously
ing around 5:30 p.m. Hendrix and Dannemann smoked took a sleeping tablet sometime around 6 a.m., with Henhashish and drank tea and wine with Harvey and two of drix still awake, and awoke sometime between 10 and
his female companions while discussing their individual 10:20 a.m. to nd him sleeping normally.[43] She said she
careers.[25] Sometime around 10 p.m., Dannemann, ap- then left to purchase cigarettes, and when she returned
parently feeling left out of the conversation and jealous of around 11 a.m., found him breathing, although unconthe attention Hendrix was giving Harveys female friends, scious and unresponsive. She telephoned for an ambubecame visibly upset and stormed out of the at.[33] Hen- lance at 11:18 a.m. and one arrived at 11:27 a.m.[36]
drix followed her, and an argument ensued between them When ambulance crew members Reg Jones and John
during which Dannemann reportedly shouted: you fuck- Saua arrived at the Samarkand, the door to the at was
ing pig.[33] Harvey, concerned that their yelling would wide open, the gas re was on, the curtains were drawn,
draw unwanted attention from the police, asked them to and the apartment was dark. The crew called out several
quiet down.[33]
times, but after receiving no response, they entered and
Harvey, who had remained silent about the incident
out of respect for his English nobleman father, gave an
adavit after his fathers death in 1994. In his statement,
he claims to have been mildly concerned for Hendrixs
safety, worried that Dannemann might resort to serious physical violence.[34] According to Harvey, Dannemann verbally assaulted [Hendrix] in the most oensive

found Hendrix alone.[44] According to Jones: Well, we

had to get the police, we only had [Hendrix] and an empty
at, so John ran up and radioed, and got the aspirator ...
It was horric. He was covered in vomit. There was tons
of it all over the pillowblack and brown it was. His
airway was completely blocked all the way down ... We
felt his pulse ... showed a light in his eyes. But there was

no response at all.[45] At 11:30 a.m., police ocers Ian

Smith and Tom Keene responded to a call for police assistance from the ambulance control centre.[46] Jones commented: Once the police arrived, which seemed like no
time at all, we got [Hendrix] o to hospital as quick as
we could.[45]
The ambulance crew left the hotel at approximately 11:35
a.m. to take Hendrix to St Mary Abbots Hospital and
they arrived at 11:45 a.m.[47] Medical registrar Dr. Martin Seifert stated: Jimi was rushed into the [resuscitation] room. He was put on a monitor, but it [ECG
trace] was at. I pounded his heart [CPR] a couple of
times, but there was no point, he was dead.[48] According to Seifert, the attempt to resuscitate Hendrix lasted
just a few minutes.[48] The surgical registrar, Dr. John
Bannister, commented: He was cold and he was blue.
He had all the parameters of someone who had been
dead for some time. We worked on him for about half
an hour without any response at all.[48] Bannister pronounced Hendrix dead at 12:45 p.m., on September 18,
1970; he was 27 years old.[49] He later stated: On admission he was obviously dead. He had no pulse, no
heartbeat, and the attempt to resuscitate him was merely
a formality.[50][nb 11]

POST-MORTEM

death-from-overdose account.[58] Hendrixs public relations manager, Les Perrin, granted an interview on Dutch
radio soon after the hospital announcement. He commented: Well, all I know is that Mr. Hendrixs body
was taken to St. Mary Abbots Hospital in Kensington,
London, at 11:45 this morning, and he was certied to
be dead on arrival.[57] At 2 p.m., BBC Radio 1 reported:
Jimi Hendrix, regarded by millions as one of the most
talented and original performers in modern rock music,
is dead.[59] That evening, The New York Times described
him as, a genius black musician, a guitarist, singer and
composer of brilliantly dramatic power. He spoke in gestures and big as he could imagine and create.[51]
On September 19, Dannemann spoke with a journalist for
the German tabloid Bild. During the interview, published
on September 24, Dannemann stated: I loved him, and
Jimi loved me ... We were already engaged ... I would
then have designed the sleeves for his records ... He
could not sleep. So I gave him the tablets.[60][nb 14] On
September 20, a reporter from The Daily Telegraph interviewed Dannemanns brother, Klaus-Peter Dannemann,
who stated: "[Monika] telephoned me on [September 19]
and told me that [Hendrix] took nine sleeping tablets. She
said that Jimi had told her that he wanted to sleep for a
day and a half before he went to America. She told me
that he did not intend to kill himself.[62]

Media response

The story of life is quicker than the wink of an eye. 4 Post-mortem

The story of love is hello and goodbye. Until we meet
again.[53]
To determine the cause of death, the coroner, Gavin
The last stanza from Hendrixs nal poem, The Story Thurston, ordered a post-mortem examination on Hendrixs body, which was performed on September 21 by
of Life
Professor Robert Donald Teare, a forensic pathologist.[63]
Teare reported that Hendrix was well nourished and
During the morning of September 18, Eric Burdon ar- muscular, and he identied a quarter-inch scar on Henrived at the Samarkand sometime before the ambulance drixs left wrist.[64][nb 15] He said that there were no stigcrew and found that Hendrix was already dead. Burdon mata of [intravenous] drug addiction. Once these marks
immediately became concerned that police would nd are there [in the skin], they never go away. In this case,
drugs at the apartment, and as he was collecting incrim- there were no marks at all.[66] Although Teare observed
inating evidence, he found the poem that Hendrix had that the right side of Hendrixs heart was widely dilated,
written hours earlier, The Story of Life.[54] Burdon, he found no evidence of valvular heart disease. He diswho said he had previously discussed suicide and death covered a partially collapsed left lung and 400 ml of uid
with Hendrix, assumed the poem was a suicide note. Un- in Hendrixs chest. Both lungs were congested, and vomit
der this assumption, he made comments to the press re- was found in the smaller bronchi.[67] According to Teare,
garding his belief that Hendrix had committed suicide Hendrixs stomach contained a medium-sized partially
that he has since recanted: I made false statements ... digested meal in which rice could be distinguished.[68]
I simply didn't understand what the situation was. I mis- Teare concluded that Hendrixs kidneys were healthy, and
read the note ... I thought it was a goodbye.[55][nb 12] Dan- his liver was congested. His bladder was half full of clear
nemann said Hendrix told her: I want you to keep this urine.[68] He stated that Hendrixs blood alcohol content
[poem] forever [and] I don't want you to forget anything was 100 mg per 100 ml, enough to fail a breathalyzer
that is written. Its a story about you and me.[32][nb 13]
test ... the equivalent of about four pints of beer.[69]
Soon after Bannister pronounced Hendrix dead, a hospi- Teare reported that analysis of Hendrixs blood revealed
tal spokesperson told the press: We don't know where, a mixture of barbiturates consistent with those from Veshow, or why he died, but he died of an overdose.[57] By parax, and he estimated that drug concentrations transthat evening, many newspapers in London and New York lated to ingestion of 1.8 grams of barbiturate, 20 mg
had printed sensationalized headlines that exploited the of amphetamine, and 20 mg of cannabis.[70][nb 16] Teare

5
gave the cause of death as: Inhalation of vomit due to
barbiturate intoxication.[68] He did not attempt to determine Hendrixs time of death.[72][nb 17]
Thurston began an inquest on September 23, and on
September 28 he concluded that Hendrix had aspirated
his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with
barbiturates.[74] Citing insucient evidence of [the] circumstances, he recorded an open verdict.[75] He commented: The cause of death was clearly inhalation of
vomit due to barbiturate intoxication, but there is no evidence as to intention to commit suicide ... If the question of intention cannot be answered, then it is proper to
nd the cause of death and leave it an open verdict.[76]
Dannemann later stated that Hendrix had taken nine of
her prescribed Vesparax sleeping tablets. Intended to
be taken in half-tablet doses, nine tablets of the powerful sedative amounted to 18 times the recommended
amount.[77][nb 18]

to bed. I woke up about 11:00 a.m., and saw

that Jimis face was covered in vomit. I tried
to wake him but could not. I called an ambulance and he was taken to the hospital in Kensington ... Prior to going with him to the hospital, I checked my supply of Vesparax sleeping tablets and found that nine of them were
missing.[87][nb 20]
In Dannemanns initial statements, she said she awoke
at 11 a.m. on September 18.[89] During the inquest she
stated that she awoke at 10:20 a.m., and left to purchase cigarettes, something she had previously failed to
mention.[90] In 1971, she wrote a manuscript in which
she said she awoke at 10 a.m. In 1975, during an interview with author Caesar Glebbeek, Dannemann stated
that she awoke at 9 a.m.[86] According to Burdon, Dannemann phoned him as the rst light of dawn was coming
through the window.[91][nb 21] Stickells said he received a
phone call regarding a problem with Hendrix between 8
a.m. and 9 a.m.[88] Mitchell said he waited for Hendrix
at the Speakeasy Club until they closed at 4 a.m., and
a couple of hours after his hour and a half drive home,
he received a phone call from Stickells, who told him
Hendrix had died.[94] In her statements to the police and
coroners oce, Dannemann never mentioned telephoning Burdon.[76][nb 22]

After Hendrixs body had been embalmed by Desmond

Henley,[79] it was own to Seattle, Washington, on
September 29.[80] After a service at Dunlop Baptist
Church on October 1, he was interred at Greenwood
Cemetery in Renton, Washington, the location of his
mothers gravesite.[81] Hendrixs family and friends traveled in twenty-four limousines. More than two hundred people attended the funeral, including several notable musicians such as the original Experience members
Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding, as well as Miles Davis, Although Dannemann stated that Hendrix was alive when
placed in the ambulance at approximately 11:30 a.m.
John Hammond and Johnny Winter.[82]
and that she rode with him on the way to the hospital,
the ambulance crew later denied she was there.[96] Statefrom the paramedics who responded to the call
5 Inconsistencies and the Scotland ments
support that they found Hendrix alone in the at when
they arrived at 11:27 a.m., fully clothed and apparently
Yard inquiry
already dead.[97] Jones later commented: "[When] we arwide open, nobody
Tony Brown, author of Jimi Hendrix: The Final Days rived at the at, the door was ung
[98]
about,
just
the
body
on
the
bed.
Saua
stated: There
(1997), had been in regular contact with Dannemann
was
just
me
and
the
casualty
and
Reg
the
driver. Nofrom 1980 until her death in 1996. He visited with her
[46]
body
else.
Burdon
stated:
"[Dannemann]
didn't leave
on multiple occasions and spoke with her numerous times
[99]
in
the
ambulance;
she
was
with
me.
According
to
over the phone. Soon after contacting her, Brown came to
Jones,
Hendrixs
bowels
and
bladder
had
released
some
of
the conclusion that her account of the events of Hendrixs
prior to the ambulance crews arrival at the
nal days would change from one call to the next.[83] In their contents
[45]
Samarkand.
Saua stated that the vomit was dry when
the days following Hendrixs death, she gave two signifthey
arrived,
making
use of their aspirator ineective.[100]
icantly dierent accounts of the morning of September
Saua commented: When we moved [Hendrix], the gases
18.[84]
were gurgling, you get that when someone has died.[100]
At approximately 4 p.m. on September 18, Dannemann According to police ocer Smith: The ambulance men
told Police Sergeant John Shaw: We went to sleep about were there, but Jimi was dead ... There was really nothing
7 a.m. When I woke up at eleven his face was covered in they could do for him.[47][nb 23] Smith also disputes Danvomit, and he was breathing noisily. I sent for an ambu- nemanns claim that she was there with Hendrix at the at
lance, and he was taken to hospital. I also noticed that and in the ambulance:
ten of my sleeping tablets were missing.[85][nb 19] In a
statement given to P. Weyell of the coroners oce on
No, I remember quite clearly the doors
September 24, she said:
shutting on the crew and Jimi ... there was
I made a sandwich and we talked until
about 7 a.m. He then said that he wanted to
go to sleep. He took some tablets, and we went

no one about. If she had been in the at, they

would never have called us to come ... But because no one was there, he was dead, and circumstances were a little odd, suspicious, they

6 NOTES
radioed ... us in. It wasn't until later in the day
that I found out that it was Jimi Hendrix.[47]

In 1992, after having conducted an extensive review of

the events of September 18, 1970, the London Ambulance Service issued an ocial statement: There was no
one else, except the deceased, at the at when they arrived; nor did anyone else accompany them in the ambulance to St. Mary Abbotts Hospital.[46][nb 24]

[7] According to Mitchell, this occurred sometime around

6:45 p.m.[29]
[8] Dannemann claimed that Mitchell telephoned Hendrix
at the Samarkand around 8:30 p.m. on the evening of
September 17; however, Mitchell denied knowing the
telephone number of the Samarkand or that Hendrix was
with Dannemann in London and said that he called Hendrix at the Cumberland.[31] In light of Mitchell and Harveys statements and Dannemanns account of Hendrix
making telephone calls from the Cumberland earlier that
day, it is more likely that Hendrix spoke with Mitchell and
Stickells from his suite there at around 4:30 p.m.[32]

In 1992, having arranged for a private investigation of

Hendrixs death, Etchingham supplied the results of the
eort to UK authorities and requested they reopen the
coroners inquest.[104] After a several-month inquiry by [9] The amphetamine tablet Hendrix ingested was a Duraphet
20 mg, also known as a Black Bomber.[38]
Scotland Yard, during which every interested party to the
events was interviewed, ocials were condent the re[39]
quest would be granted.[105] The investigation eventually [10] Burdon said Hendrix seemed jumpy at the party.
proved inconclusive in 1993, when Attorney General Sir
identied the body
Nicholas Lyell decided that proceeding with the investi- [11] Hendrix tour manager Gerry Sticklles
sometime around 12:00 p.m.[51] Until Sticklles identigation would not serve the public, due in part to the excescation, neither the police, doctors, nor ambulance crew
sive time that had passed since Hendrixs death.[106][nb 25]
knew that the patient was Hendrix.[52]

Notes

[1] The contract dispute stemmed from a three-year deal Hendrix had signed with producer Ed Chalpin in October
1965, less than one year before Hendrix went to England, signed with Track Records, and formed the Experience.[4] The paternity suit was brought against Hendrix
by Diane Carpenter after the birth of her child, Tamika
James Lawrence Carpenter.[5]
[2] Dannemann later said that she and Hendrix had become
engaged to be married in early 1969, and completed their
wedding plans during his nal days. She said they kept
their plans a secret so as to avoid oending her father,
who did not approve of interracial marriage. Dannemann
told author Tony Brown that she had letters from Hendrix
proving their one-year engagement, but refused to allow
him to view them as far too personal.[14] Dannemann
friend, Judy Wong said that Hendrix told her about the
engagement while attending her birthday party, during the
afternoon of September 16, 1970.[14]
[3] On September 16, Hendrix refused to meet with his
lawyer, Henry Steingarten, who wanted to discuss the
pending court cases.[5] Chas Chandler said he met with
Hendrix on September 16, but this is disputed. Chandler
is unsure which day of the week this occurred, and later
told the press that it took place in March of that year.[16]
[4] After Hendrixs death, Dannemann took possession of the
guitar.[21] It is now owned by former Scorpions guitarist
Uli Jon Roth.[22]
[5] Cumberland sta reported seeing Hendrix that afternoon.
He ordered room service and arranged for his shoes to be
cleaned.[27]
[6] According to Jeerys assistant Trixie Sullivan, Hendrix
called and left a message for Jeery that afternoon.[26]

[12] Dannemann stated that tour managers Gerry Stickells and

Eric Barrett had been present before the ambulance was
called, and had removed some of Hendrixs possessions,
including some of his most recent messages.[21]
[13] In 1996, after being found guilty of libel against Etchingham and contempt of a UK court, Dannemann committed
suicide.[56]
[14] Although Dannemann later claimed the interview never
took place, she acknowledged an encounter with a journalist from Bild. Along with the interview, Bild printed
a picture of Dannemann and Hendrix taken during their
rst meeting in January 1969. According to author Tony
Brown, this image could have only been supplied to the
tabloid by Dannemann.[61]
[15] Etchingham said the scar was there when Hendrix arrived
in England in 1966.[65]
[16] In the mid-1990s, Dr. Rufus Crompton, a former student
of Teares and his successor at the Department of Forensic Medicine in St. Georges Hospital Medical School,
re-examined Teares post-mortem report. He concluded
that the barbiturate level in Hendrixs blood, 0.7 mg/100
ml, was above the toxic level of 0.5 mg/100 ml. He stated
that this level of barbiturate intoxication would have signicantly inhibited Hendrixs cough reex, making it difcult for him to breathe after he began to vomit.[71]
[17] According to Crompton, food usually remains in the stomach for less than four hours. Based on the post-mortem
identication of whole rice grains in Hendrixs stomach
and reports that Hendrix ate rice sometime between 11
p.m. and 12 a.m., Crompton concluded that Hendrix died
no later than 4 a.m.[73]
[18] The recommended dose of half a tablet of Vesparax would
typically induce eight hours of sleep if ingested by a 160
lb person.[78]

[19] Dannemann said that her Vesparax tablets came in packets

of ten, and that she found an empty packet that morning
and assumed Hendrix had taken them all. She later found
a tablet that had fallen under the bed, and surmised he had
taken nine.[86]
[20] Dannemann told Weyell that she and Hendrix stayed in
the previous night and that she prepared a meal of tuna
sh for them at her apartment. Etchingham later refuted
Dannemanns account, insisting that Hendrix strongly disliked tuna and would never have asked for it. Dannemann
commented: He did take one tiny bite, then put down the
sandwich and didn't touch it anymore.[88]
[21] During an interview published by Earth magazine in December 1970, Burdon stated: When Monika phoned, I
said he would be okay, but later told her to get an ambulance. I thought he would be alright by then, but that
was that.[92] In 1991, while conducting an investigation
of her own, Etchingham recorded a phone conversation
during which Burdon stated: I was fucking out of my
mind. I'd just nished a gig at Ronnie Scotts. I was in
bed ... and I got this telephone call from [Dannemann] ...
I said hes just stoned, I said just wake him up. I said just
pour some coee down his face and slap him around and
wake him up. And then I went back to bed. It was early
morning when I got the call, in fact I thought it was earlier than early morning ... in the early hours. Then I got
this alarm bell ringing in my head, and I woke up and sat
up and went, 'Wait a minute, somethings wrong here'. I
called her back, and I had to yell and scream in order for
her to get an ambulance.[93]
[22] Dannemann also telephoned friends Judy Wong and
Alvinia Bridges prior to telephoning for an ambulance at
11:18 a.m. She did not mention these phone calls during
any of her statements to the police or coroners oce.[95]
[23] The second police ocer who arrived at the scene, Tom
Keene, has never been located.[47]
[24] According to Bannister, Hendrix asphyxiated mainly on
red wine, which lled his airways.[50] Bannisters statement was made in January 1992 to Harry Shapiro, coauthor of Electric Gypsy, a book which included accusations of malpractice by Dannemann regarding Bannister
because he did not perform a tracheotomy on Hendrix. No
one else at the time, the other doctors, ambulance crew, or
the police mentioned wine. Only Dannemann mentioned
wine, in the rst edition of Electric Gypsy (1990), which
Bannister read previous to making the statement.[101] The
autopsy found relatively low levels of alcohol in his system and never mentioned wine, only vomited matter.[102]
On April 28, 1992, in connection with unrelated matters, Bannister was reprimanded for three counts of medical malpractice, and struck o the medical register for
fraud.[103]
[25] In 2009, a former roadie for the Animals, James Tappy
Wright, published a book which claimed that Hendrixs
manager, Mike Jeery, admitted to him that he had
Hendrix killed because Hendrix wanted to end his management contract with Jeery.[107] In 2011, Bob Levine,
Wrights long-term business associate and Jeerys assistant manager in New York, said Wright made up these
stories to sell his book.[108]

7 Citations
[1] Biography of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
[2] George-Warren 2001, pp. 428430.
[3] Brown 1997, pp. 5, 100.
[4] Brown 1997, p. 100.
[5] Brown 1997, p. 103.
[6] Brown 1997, p. 5.
[7] Brown 1997, pp. 56.
[8] Brown 1997, p. 81.
[9] Brown 1997, pp. 7980.
[10] Brown 1997, p. 82.
[11] Brown 1997, p. 90.
[12] Brown 1997, p. 99.
[13] Brown 1997, p. 101.
[14] Brown 1997, pp. 104107.
[15] Brown 1997, p. 107.
[16] Brown 1997, pp. 103104.
[17] Unterberger 2009, p. 226.
[18] Hendrix & McDermott 2007, pp. 5860: Hendrix spending most of September 17 with Dannemann and Dannemann as the only eyewitness to Hendrixs nal hours;
McDermott 1992, p. 284; Unterberger 2009, pp. 119
126: the disputed details of Hendrixs nal hours and
death; Moskowitz 2010, p. 82: uncertainty in the specic
details of his nal hours and death.
[19] Cross 2005, pp. 329330.
[20] Brown 1997, p. 109.
[21] Brown 1997, pp. 133134.
[22] Heatley 2009, p. 100.
[23] Brown 1997, pp. 109110.
[24] Brown 1997, p. 110.
[25] Cross 2005, p. 330.
[26] Brown 1997, p. 110111.
[27] Brown 1997, p. 120.
[28] Mitchell & Platt 1990, pp. 157159.
[29] Mitchell & Platt 1990, p. 157.
[30] Mitchell & Platt 1990, pp. 157159: (primary source);
Shadwick 2003, p. 243: (secondary source).
[31] Brown 1997, pp. 120121.

CITATIONS

[32] Brown 1997, p. 122.

[64] Brown 1997, p. 158.

[33] Cross 2005, pp. 330331.

[65] Shapiro & Glebbeek 1995, pp. 471472.

[34] Brown 1997, pp. 116118.

[66] Black 1999, p. 248.

[35] Brown 1997, p. 117.

[67] Brown 1997, pp. 158159.

[36] Hendrix & McDermott 2007, p. 59.

[68] Brown 1997, p. 159.

[37] Cross 2005, p. 331.

[69] Moskowitz 2010, pp. 8283: the equivalent of about

four pints of beer"; Shapiro & Glebbeek 1995, pp. 470
471: Hendrixs blood alcohol content was an insignicant
100 mg per 100 mls.

[38] Brown 1997, pp. 160, 164.

[39] Shapiro & Glebbeek 1995, p. 463.
[40] Brown 1997, p. 123.
[41] Hendrix & McDermott 2007, pp. 5860.
[42] Cross 2005, pp. 331332.
[43] Brown 1997, p. 128: Dannemann secretly taking a sleeping tablet around 6 a.m. and waking at 10:20 a.m (direct
quote); Cross 2005, p. 332: Dannemann secretly taking a
sleeping tablet around 6 a.m. (secondary source); Hendrix
& McDermott 2007, p. 59: Dannemann waking at 10
a.m.

[70] Brown 1997, pp. 159160: a mixture of barbiturates

consistent with those from Vesparax"; Moskowitz 2010,
p. 83: Teare estimated that Hendrix had ingested 1.8
grams of barbiturate, 20 mg of amphetamine, and 20 mg
of cannabis.
[71] Brown 1997, pp. 164165.
[72] Brown 1997, pp. 159163.
[73] Brown 1997, p. 164.

[44] Brown 1997, pp. 135136.

[74] Brown 1997, pp. 155, 172174: Coroner Gavin

Thurstons September 28 inquest; Moskowitz 2010, p. 82:
Hendrixs September 21 autopsy.

[45] Brown 1997, p. 136.

[75] Brown 1997, p. 174.

[46] Brown 1997, p. 138.

[76] Brown 1997, p. 163.

[47] Brown 1997, p. 139.

[77] Cross 2005, p. 332; McDermott 2009, p. 248.

[48] Brown 1997, p. 145.

[78] Brown 1997, pp. 128129.

[49] Moskowitz 2010, p. 82.

[79] In memoriam Desmond C. Henley. Internet. Christopher Henley Limited 2008 - 2010. Retrieved 8 March
2014.

[50] Black 1999, pp. 248249.

[51] Cross 2005, p. 336.
[52] Brown 1997, p. 146.
[53] Roby 2012, p. 328; Brown 1997, p. 152; Shapiro &
Glebbeek 1995, p. 506; Shadwick 2003, p. 243.
[54] Cross 2005, p. 335; Burdon collecting incriminating evidence; Roby & Schreiber 2010, p. 183: Burdon as one
of the rst people to arrive at the Samarkand during the
morning of September 18, 1970.

[80] Brown 1997, p. 165.

[81] Shapiro & Glebbeek 1995, p. 475.
[82] Cross 2005, pp. 338340.
[83] Brown 1997, p. 102.
[84] Brown 1997, pp. 149, 162163.
[85] Brown 1997, p. 157.

[55] Cross 2005, p. 335.

[86] Brown 1997, p. 130.

[56] Lawrence 2005, pp. 264265.

[87] Brown 1997, pp. 156, 162.

[57] Brown 1997, p. 147.

[88] Brown 1997, p. 127.

[58] Brown 1997, p. 154; Cross 2005, p. 336.

[89] Brown 1997, pp. 127, 156157.

[59] Brown 1997, p. 148.

[90] Brown 1997, pp. 129, 162.

[60] Brown 1997, pp. 152153.

[61] Brown 1997, pp. 153154.

[91] Brown 1997, pp. 156157: Dannemanns contradictory

accounts of her time of waking, 134: Burdon quote regarding Dannemanns phone call to him.

[62] Brown 1997, p. 154.

[92] Brown 1997, p. 132.

[63] Brown 1997, pp. 155161, 172174.

[93] Brown 1997, pp. 132133.

[94] Mitchell & Platt 1990, p. 159.

[95] Brown 1997, pp. 134135, 163.
[96] Brown 1997, p. 135: Dannemann claiming to have rode
with to the hospital; Cross 2005, p. 334: paramedics
denying that Dannemann was there.
[97] Brown 1997, pp. 136137.
[98] Brown 1997, p. 135.
[99] Brown 1997, p. 133.
[100] Brown 1997, p. 137.
[101] Brown 1997, pp. 140143.
[102] Brown 1997, pp. 158161.
[103] The Supreme Court Of New South Wales Court of Appeal
(April 30, 1992). Bannister v Walton (PDF). p. 1.
[104] Redding & Appleby 1996, p. 224: (primary source);
Shapiro & Glebbeek 1995, p. 475: (secondary source);
Brown 1997, pp. 68: (additional secondary source).
[105] Brown 1997, p. 7.
[106] Redding & Appleby 1996, p. 224: (primary source);
Shapiro & Glebbeek 1995, p. 475: (secondary source);
Brown 1997, p. 7: (additional secondary source).
[107] Roby & Schreiber 2010, p. 87.
[108] Bosso, Joe (May 26, 2011). Jimi Hendrix was not
murdered by his manager, says former business partner.
MusicRadar. Retrieved June 6, 2011.

Sources
Black, Johnny (1999). Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate
Experience. Thunders Mouth Press. ISBN 978-156025-240-5.

Lawrence, Sharon (2005). Jimi Hendrix: The Intimate Story of a Betrayed Musical Legend. Harper.
ISBN 978-0-06-056301-1.
McDermott, John (2009). Ultimate Hendrix: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Live Concerts and Sessions.
BackBeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-938-1.
McDermott, John (1992). Lewisohn, Mark, ed.
Hendrix: Setting the Record Straight. Grand Central.
ISBN 978-0-446-39431-4.
Mitchell, Mitch; Platt, John (1990). Jimi Hendrix:
Inside the Experience. St. Martins Press. ISBN
978-0-312-10098-8.
Moskowitz, David (2010). The Words and Music of
Jimi Hendrix. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-37592-7.
Redding, Noel; Appleby, Carol (1996). Are You
Experienced?. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-30680681-0.
Roby, Steven, ed. (2012). Hendrix on Hendrix: Interviews and Encounters with Jimi Hendrix. Chicago
Review Press. ISBN 978-1-61374-322-5.
Roby, Steven; Schreiber, Brad (2010). Becoming
Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads to
Psychedelic London, the Untold Story of a Musical
Genius. Da Capo. ISBN 978-0-306-81910-0.
Shadwick, Keith (2003). Jimi Hendrix: Musician.
Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-764-6.
Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Caesar (1995) [1990].
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy (New and Improved
ed.). St. Martins Press. ISBN 978-0-312-130626.
Unterberger, Richie (2009). The Rough Guide to
Jimi Hendrix. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84836002-0.

Brown, Tony (1997). Jimi Hendrix: The Final Days.

Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-7119-5238-6.
Cross, Charles R. (2005). Room Full of Mirrors: A
Biography of Jimi Hendrix. Hyperion. ISBN 978-07868-8841-2.
George-Warren, Holly, ed. (2001). The Rolling
Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll (2005 revised
and updated ed.). Fireside. ISBN 978-0-74329201-6.
Heatley, Michael (2009). Jimi Hendrix Gear: The
Guitars, Amps & Eects that Revolutionized Rock 'n'
Roll. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-3639-7.
Hendrix, Janie L.; McDermott, John (2007). Jimi
Hendrix: An Illustrated Experience. Atria. ISBN
978-0-7432-9769-1.

9 Further reading
Brown, Tony (1992). Jimi Hendrix A Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-7119-27612.
Doggett, Peter (2004). Jimi Hendrix: The Complete
Guide to his Music. Omnibus. ISBN 978-1-84449424-8.
Hendrix, James A. (1999). My Son Jimi. AlJas Enterprises. ISBN 978-0-9667857-0-8.
Hendrix, Leon; Mitchell, Adam (2012). Jimi Hendrix: A Brothers Story. St. Martins Press. ISBN
978-0-312-66881-5.

10
Murray, Charles Shaar (1989). Crosstown Trac:
Jimi Hendrix and the Rock 'n' Roll Revolution (First
US ed.). St. Martins Press. ISBN 978-0-31204288-2.
Potash, Chris, ed. (1996). The Jimi Hendrix Companion. Omnibus. ISBN 978-0-7119-6635-2.
Roby, Steven (2002). Black Gold: The Lost Archives
of Jimi Hendrix. Billboad Books. ISBN 978-08230-7854-7.
Documentaries
Joe Boyd, John Head, Gary Weis (Directors) (2005)
[1973]. Jimi Hendrix (Original recording remastered, DVD) (in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
and Dolby Digital 5.1). Warner Home Video. ASIN
B0009E3234.
Bob Smeaton (Director) (2012). West Coast Seattle
Boy: Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child (Blu-ray DVD)
(in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Sony Legacy.
ASIN B007ZC92FA.

9 FURTHER READING

11

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