Jimi Hendrix has only had a four-year mainstream career, but he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitar iconists in pop music history and one of the most famous musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icon describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music."
On the eve of the end of his life, Hendricks stayed with his girlfriend, German figure skater and painter Monica Danneman, in her apartment at the Samarkand Hotel in Notting Hill, England. On his last night alive, he had Daneman drop him off at a friend's house around 1:45 a.m. He stayed at a friend's house until 3 a.m. before Denneman picked him up. After they returned to her apartment, Hendrix began taking large amounts of sleeping pills prescribed to his girlfriend. Then the two went straight to sleep. It wasn't until he woke up that Deneman realized something was wrong. At 11:18 a.m., Danneman called an ambulance. When paramedics arrived, they found Hendrix unresponsive and took him to St. Mary Abbot's Hospital. Medical experts did their best to save him, but he was officially pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. that day.
The official cause of death was attributed to him "inhaling his own vomit."
Before his death, Hendrix seemed aware of the damage substance abuse and acting had done to his body. He once told reporters, "I'm not sure I'll live to be 28." His bizarre prophecy came true and he died at the age of 27.
A handwritten note was found in Daneman's apartment that read: "The story of life is faster than the blink of an eye." The story of love is hello and goodbye until we meet again. It's unclear whether the words were the lyrics of a new song he was writing or a suicide note, but either way, the timely discovery of the letter once again suggests that Hendrix may have known that his death was near.
In addition to the note, Hendrix also left a message that night on the answering machine of his agent, Charles Chandler. In the message, Hendrix conveyed what is believed to be his last words. "I need help, man." The mysterious cry for help has many wondering if Hendrix knew that night would be his last.
Unfortunately, none of these clues provide any concrete answers, but instead raise more questions. Did Hendrix know his life was coming to an end? What exactly does he mean by needing help? For what? If Chandler had received the news in time, would his call for help have saved his life? These questions will probably never be answered.
Jimi Hendrix August 1967
Jimi Hendrix's London apartment with a note full of lyrics.
Rock star Jimi Hendrix in bed at the Drake Hotel in New York in 1968.
Jimi Hendrix played at the Isle of Wight Festival a few months before his death in 1970.