Beyond the image: the giftedness of Jimi Hendrix - Gifted Education: Perspectives from Down Under

Roeper Review, Fall, 2001 by Anne-Marie Morrissey

   We sat there in the gloom, feeling strong and lucky, knowing that under the
   hype and the bullshit there had been a genius all along. (Germaine Greer
   describing a performance by Jimi Hendrix shortly before his death [1986, p.
   44])

While acknowledging the importance of concurrent and predictive studies of gifted development in children and adolescents, many in the field also point to the value of retrospective biographical study of recognized achievers for greater understanding of factors underlying the development of gifted creativity (Feldhusen, 1986; Gruber, 1982, 1986; Simonton, 1998). Such studies have found that creative gifted achievers frequently share intellectual and motivational attributes and even background characteristics and life experiences. These findings provide clues to personal qualities and environmental conditions associated with the successful development of gifted potential, and may also provide insights into the relationship between giftedness and creativity. This article applies the retrospective method to the life of electric guitarist Jimi Hendrix. It argues that beyond his popularly received image as decadent rock star was a highly creative, gifted musician, and a personality that aligns with those described in the review of literature on eminent achievers. It also considers some of the personal attributes and environmental factors that figured prominently in his musical development.

While few would deny that Jimi Hendrix had talent--he is widely regarded as rock music's greatest instrumentalist (Heatley, 1997; Shapiro & Glebbeek, 1994; Shaar Murray, 1990)--there is the matter of the "Hendrix Image," summed up here by Charles Shaar Murray:

   The "authorized version" of the Jimi Hendrix experience (sic) is that
   Hendrix was a crazy black man who did funny things with a guitar, had
   thousands of women and eventually died of drugs, which was a shame because
   he was a really good guitarist, and he could play it with his teeth, too.
   (Like David Bowies's Ziggy Stardust, "he took it all too far/but boy, could
   he play guitar.") (1990, p. 2)

However, delving deeper, another picture emerges. Those who knew him describe him as shy, softly spoken and courteous, intelligent and well informed, and as possessing personal magnetism and a strong sense of humour (Black, 1999; C. Cass [personal communication, April, 1977]; Davis, 1990; McCartney, 1992; Shapiro & Glebbeek, 1994). He could also be moody, noncommunicative, maddeningly perfectionistic and emotionally volatile (Black, 1999; Redding & Appleby, 1996; Shaar Murray, 1990; Shapiro & Glebbeek, 1994). Overall, the biographical material presents a picture of a highly sensitive and thoughtful individual who found himself in a situation that offered extraordinary rewards and opportunities for the expression of his musical ideas, but also placed him frequently under almost intolerable pressure. The "authorized" version has dominated the popular perception of Hendrix, ensuring that he has not been widely perceived as a serious musician, and clouding the facts of his substantial contribution to contemporary music: "For the past twenty years, the symbols of Jimi's pop-culture heritage have stood defiantly between him and any clear sight of just what an important musician he was" (Shapiro & Glebbeek, 1994, p. 502). Thus, it is important to briefly review some of the professional commentary on Hendrix's achievements and his place in contemporary musical history before considering his life and character in the light of findings from the literature review on creative gifted achievers.

The Achievements of Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was a gifted and dazzling guitar player who spent several years in musical apprenticeship as an itinerant sideman in various rhythm and blues bands playing the network of black venues across America known as the Chitlin Circuit. In 1966 he was discovered by ex-Animals bass player Chas Chandler, playing at a cheap club in New York. Eminent achievers often benefit from a fortuitous conjunction of time and place (Feldman, 1982), and in this instance Hendrix was taken by Chandler to the right place at the right time--late sixties London. On arrival them, the superiority of his playing was immediately recognized by top British guitarists such as Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton (Black, 1999; Shapiro & Glebbeek, 1994).

His performances were memorable. Drummer Robert Wyatt states that he "was a master at organizing a dramatic event" (Shapiro & Glebbeek, 1994, p. 322). Pete Townshend of The Who recalls that `When he started to play, something changed: colors changed, everything changed.... I remember flames and water dripping out of the ends of his hands.... He was such a manipulator, such a magician to me, such a charismatic figure" (Shaar Murray, 1990, p. 7). These performances were based on a complex coordination of various elements. In addition to simultaneously playing lead and rhythm guitar, he sang, danced and, through years of experience, was able to carefully choreograph his movements in relation to the guitar and the amplifiers, to produce the electronic effects that were an essential part of his music. The overall effect was literally and figuratively electric. A Finnish musicologist wrote after seeing Hendrix perform: