Complete List Of The Jimi Hendrix Experience Band Members

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The power trio format found its ultimate expression through three young musicians who converged in London during the autumn of 1966 to create The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The band was formed in London, England in October 1966 by ex-Animals bassist Chas Chandler, and consisted of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, drummer Mitch Mitchell, and bassist Noel Redding. The Experience was active for just under three years, a run which resulted in three successful studio albums and four top 10 singles. All of the band’s albums, Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and Electric Ladyland (1968), were featured in the top 100 of Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

The original lineup remained intact from October 1966 until June 1969, when bassist Noel Redding departed following tensions during the Denver Pop Festival. After a show in Denver on June 29, 1969, bassist Noel Redding brought an end to one of rock’s greatest trios. The band officially disbanded in mid-1969, though Hendrix continued performing with various musicians using The Experience name until his death in September 1970. The three studio albums achieved significant commercial success, with Electric Ladyland reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The band’s innovative fusion of rock, blues, and psychedelia established them as one of the most influential groups in rock history.

Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who served as the band’s guitarist, primary songwriter, and lead vocalist. Hendrix began playing guitar at age 15. In 1961, he enlisted in the US Army, but was discharged the following year. Following his military service, he worked as a sideman on the chitlin circuit, backing artists including the Isley Brothers, Little Richard, and Curtis Knight. Hendrix moved to England in late 1966, after bassist Chas Chandler of the Animals became his manager.

Within months, he had formed his band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience with its rhythm section consisting of bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, and achieved three UK top ten hits: “Hey Joe”, “Purple Haze”, and “The Wind Cries Mary”. With The Jimi Hendrix Experience, he recorded the three studio albums that established him as one of the most innovative guitarists in rock history. Are You Experienced was released in 1967, followed by Axis: Bold as Love later that same year, and Electric Ladyland in 1968. His third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland (1968), became his most commercially successful release and his only number one album on the US Billboard 200 chart. The world’s highest-paid rock musician, Hendrix headlined the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.

Hendrix’s contributions to The Experience extended beyond guitar playing to songwriting and production. He wrote most of the band’s original material and was heavily involved in the studio production of their albums. His innovative use of feedback, distortion, and various effects pedals revolutionized electric guitar playing and influenced countless musicians. He died in London from barbiturate-related asphyxia in September 1970, at the age of 27. Outside The Experience, Hendrix had worked extensively as a session musician and backing performer for numerous R&B artists throughout the early and mid-1960s, developing the skills and stage presence that would later make The Experience legendary.

Noel Redding

David Noel Redding (25 December 1945 – 11 May 2003) was an English rock musician, best known as the bass player for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and guitarist/singer for Fat Mattress. Redding joined The Jimi Hendrix Experience as bassist in September 1966, despite being primarily a guitarist who had never played bass before. Until then, Noel had been a lead guitarist; he’d just auditioned for the Animals. Jimi’s benefactor in England, Chas Chandler, had until recently been the bassist in the Animals. Redding agreed to give bass a try, and on September 29, 1966, after jamming on “Hey Joe” and “Have Mercy on Me Baby,” Jimi asked Noel to join his band.

Redding remained with The Experience from its formation in October 1966 through June 1969, playing on all three studio albums. With the group, he recorded three landmark albums: Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland. Redding also wrote and sang lead on two songs, “Little Miss Strange” and “She’s So Fine”. His playing style was distinguished by the use of a pick, a mid-range “trebly” sound, and in later years the use of fuzz and distortion effects through overdriven Sunn amps. On Are You Experienced, Redding established the bass lines that became integral to The Experience’s sound, providing the rhythmic foundation for Hendrix’s experimental guitar work and Mitchell’s jazz-influenced drumming.

His contributions to Axis: Bold as Love included both bass playing and songwriting, with his compositions adding variety to the album’s psychedelic rock sound. On Electric Ladyland, tensions within the band began affecting the recording process. By late 1967, Hendrix was an international star, but Redding and Hendrix were barely on speaking terms – Redding didn’t play bass on All Along The Watchtower or on Voodoo Chile on the final Jimi Hendrix Experience album. The last straw came at the Denver Pop Festival when Jimi told a reporter that he was going to enlarge the band without even consulting myself or our drummer, Mitch Mitchell. I went up to Jimi that night, said goodbye, and caught the next plane back to London.

After leaving The Experience in June 1969, Redding pursued various musical projects. He had formed Fat Mattress while still in The Experience, and the band released their self-titled debut album in 1969. Following his departure from the Experience in 1969 and the dissolution of Fat Mattress in 1970, Redding formed the short-lived group Road in the United States, which released the self-titled album Road before he re-located to Clonakilty, Ireland, in 1972. There he formed the Noel Redding Band with former Thin Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell, with whom he released two albums. Although by the 1980s Redding had largely removed himself from the music business, he would later perform around his new hometown with wife Carol Appleby. Redding died at his home in Ireland on May 11, 2003, at age 57.

Mitch Mitchell

John Graham “Mitch” Mitchell (9 July 1946 – 12 November 2008) was an English drummer and child actor, best known for his work in the Jimi Hendrix Experience, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Mitchell joined The Jimi Hendrix Experience in October 1966 and remained with the band throughout its entire existence from 1966 to 1969. Mitchell auditioned for the Jimi Hendrix Experience on 6 October 1966 and was chosen over Aynsley Dunbar in a coin toss. Mitchell’s fast, driving, jazz-influenced playing meshed well with Hendrix’s open-ended, revolutionary approach to the electric guitar.

Before joining The Experience, Mitchell had established himself in the London music scene. As a 13 year old, he had a leading role in the British film Bottoms Up (1960) with Jimmy Edwards. As a teenager he starred in a children’s television programme, Jennings at School. From December 1965 until October 1966, Mitchell was the drummer of Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, appearing on their 1966 album Sweet Things. His jazz background and training proved essential to The Experience’s sound, as his playing style incorporated elements that were uncommon in rock drumming at the time.

Mitchell played on all three Jimi Hendrix Experience studio albums and was integral to their sound. He played on the three best-selling Experience studio albums, Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1968), and Electric Ladyland (1968). On Are You Experienced, Mitchell’s drumming provided both rhythmic support and melodic counterpoint to Hendrix’s guitar work, establishing the template for the band’s approach. His contributions to Axis: Bold as Love showcased his ability to adapt his playing to various musical styles within the album’s diverse range of songs. On Electric Ladyland, Mitchell’s drumming reached its peak complexity and innovation within The Experience, demonstrating his mastery of both rock power and jazz subtlety.

Throughout The Experience’s touring years from 1967 to 1969, Mitchell performed at legendary venues and festivals including the Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock, and the Isle of Wight. His live performances with The Experience became the standard for rock drumming virtuosity. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2016, Mitchell was ranked number 8 in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time”. After The Experience disbanded in 1969, Mitchell continued working with Hendrix in various configurations until the guitarist’s death in 1970. After Hendrix’ death, Mitchell finished production work with engineer Eddie Kramer on incomplete Hendrix recordings, resulting in the releases The Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge. Mitchell died in Portland, Oregon on November 12, 2008, at age 62.