Jimi Hendrix - by Sharon Lawrence (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The genius we never understood. . . .

United Press International reporter Sharon Lawrence draws upon years of private conversations to chronicle the gentle, vulnerable human being behind the fiery guitar showmanship. The man we never knew. . . .

The biography follows the guitarist from his impoverished Seattle childhood through his sudden London stardom and the grueling American arena tours. The truth we never heard. . . . The music we never forgot. . . .

Lawrence presents a sobering history of creative brilliance besieged by backstage manipulation. The memoir provides a candid record of a transcendent musician through the eyes of an unwavering confidante. A revealing portrait of a legend by a close and trusted friend.

• Firsthand Account: Reporter Sharon Lawrence recounts meeting Hendrix backstage at Anaheim in 1968, establishing an intimate friendship that lasted until his final days in London.
• Behind the Scenes: Details the chaotic reality of landmark recording sessions at Olympic and Electric Lady Studios alongside impromptu jam sessions with peers like Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood.
• Legal Battles: Follows the harrowing 1969 Toronto trial that threatened a twenty-year sentence and the relentless contract disputes that drained the guitarist's creative energy.
• Raw Honesty: Unpacks Hendrix's private dreams of establishing a rural musical sanctuary called Skychurch and the painful personal isolation hidden beneath international superstardom.

From the Back Cover

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.