Private Jimi

I love the pix at Retronaut of Jimi Hendrix in the army. He looks so like every other soldier in the army. But looks are deceptive. And you have to wonder what he was playing on that guitar. Waking the troops up with the national anthem?

Seattle's favorite son, or one of them, at least—he's a star at their Experience Music Project Museum, as is Tacoma boy Der Bingle—was not exactly military material. They let him hit the road after a year. According the the recommendation for discharge, among other things (which you can read for yourself on the Retronaut post) Hendrix had "little regard for regulations." Hmmm. Since he went into the army in lieu of two years of prison for riding in stolen cars, this shouldn't have surprised anybody.

Before long the Jimi Hendrix Experience was the opening act of the Monkees first American tour. Which, as Jimi fans all know, he was also discharged from prematurely. Poor Jimi just couldn't win.

Or could he?


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