Hopeful musicians were told by Jimi Hendrix to “just keep on” through the “frustration” of starting out.
The veteran guitarist would share in an interview that his earliest years in music were a nightmare, from being “drowned” out by other band members to a “busted” guitar he relied on for years. While starting out was “hard for me at first” it’s the resolve to push through that Hendrix credited as part of his success. The guitarist, who would die in 1970 at just 27, would share how hitting the low point when starting out is the makings of a great artist and that most would “give up” but those who kept on would be rewarded for their efforts. He said: “When I was 17, I formed this group with some other guys, but they drowned me out.
“My first was a Danelectro, which my dad bought for me. Must have busted him for a long time. But I had to show him I could play first. In those days I just liked rock’n’roll, I guess. We used to play stuff by people like the Coasters. Anyway, you all had to do the same things before you could join a band. You even had to do the same steps.”
Hendrix’s first gig saw him paid with three hamburgers and thirty-five cents, and though some would have pulled out of performing at this point, the Foxy Lady hitmaker pushed on. He added: “I started looking around for places to play.
“I remember my first gig was at an armoury, a National Guard place, and we earned 35 cents apiece and three hamburgers. It was so hard for me at first. I knew about three songs. When it was time for us to play on stage I was all shaky.
“So I had to play behind the curtains. I just couldn’t get up in front. And then you get so very discouraged. You hear different bands playing around you, and the guitar player always seems like he’s so much better than you are.
“Most people give up at this point, but it’s best not to. Just keep on, just keep on. Sometimes you are going to be so frustrated you’ll hate the guitar, but all of this is just a part of learning. If you stick with it you’re going to be rewarded. If you’re very stubborn, you can make it.”
Hendrix received plenty of praise from guitarists influenced by his playing, including David Gilmour. The Pink Floyd member called Hendrix an “absolute phenomenon” after seeing him play the club Blasies in South Kensington, London.
Gilmour said: “This little place was packed with Beatles and Stones type of people, so you think, ‘Something’s going on.’ And this kid came in and strapped a right-handed guitar on the wrong way round. He was an absolute phenomenon from the beginning.”
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