The music Jimi Hendrix wanted to be played at his funeral
After spending his youth pretending to strum chords on a broomstick, Jimi Hendrix would go on to hone those skills and become one of the greatest guitarists of all time. As a countercultural icon, guitar innovator, and Woodstock headliner, he found both commercial and critical success, bringing awe to millions of music fans worldwide.
At the height of his career, just over a year after his performance at Woodstock, Hendrix passed away at just 27-years-old. The world of music was devastated, but his legacy would live on in electric guitars, wah-wah pedals, and every generation of guitarists that followed. As he hoped, Hendrix remained just as immersed in music in death as he was in life.
The rock icon once proclaimed his hopes for his own funeral in 1967, via The Guardian, which included a jam session and a jazz icon. “I tell you, when I die I’m going to have a jam session,” he stated, “I want people to go wild and freak out. And knowing me, I’ll probably get busted at my own funeral.”
Going on to describe the event in detail, he declared, “The music will be played loud and it will be our music. I won’t have any Beatles songs, but I’ll have a few of Eddie Cochran’s things and a whole lot of blues. Roland Kirk will be there, and I’ll try and get Miles Davis along if he feels like making it.”
For their attendance, Hendrix stated, “it’s almost worth dying. Just for the funeral.” It’s a beautiful yet heartbreaking description and one that’s undeniably Hendrix – celebratory, memorable and innovative. It’s also not too far off the actual funeral that took place in 1970.
After a small service featuring eulogies, gospel songs, and readings of Hendrix’s lyrics by Freddie Mae Gautier, the ceremony gave way to a jam session. It was led by the Buddy Miles Express, with the likes of Eddie Hall and Mitch Michell, drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, joining in. As Hendrix had hoped, Miles Davis was also in attendance at the service.
Hendrix’s hopes for the funeral concluded with some powerful ruminations on life and death. “It’s funny the way people love the dead,” he contemplated, “You have to die before they think you are worth anything. Once you are dead, you are made for life. When I die, just keep on playing the records.”
His closing wish has most certainly been fulfilled – people have never stopped playing his records.