Becoming Jimi Hendrix traces “Jimmy’s” early musical roots, from a harrowing, hand-to-mouth upbringing in a poverty-stricken, broken Seattle home to his early discovery of the blues to his stint as a reluctant recruit of the 101st Airborne who was magnetically drawn to the rhythm and blues scene in Nashville. As a sideman, Hendrix played with the likes of Little Richard, Ike and Tina Turner, the Isley Brothers, and Sam &amp; Dave—but none knew what to make of his spotlight-stealing rock guitar experimentation, the likes of which had never been heard before. From 1962 to 1966, on the rough and tumble club circuit, Hendrix learned to please a crowd, deal with racism, and navigate shady music industry characters, all while evolving his own astonishing style. Finally, in New York’s Greenwich Village, two key women helped him survive, and his discovery in a tiny basement club in 1966 led to Hendrix instantly being heralded as a major act in Europe before he returned to America, appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival, and entered the pantheon of rock’s greatest musicians. Becoming Jimi Hendrix is based on over one hundred interviews with those who knew Hendrix best during his lean years, more than half of whom have never spoken about him on the record. Utilizing court transcripts, FBI files, private letters, unpublished photos, and U.S. Army documents, this is the story of a young musician who overcame enormous odds, a past that drove him to outbursts of violence, and terrible professional and personal decisions that complicated his life before his untimely demise.

Becoming Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, the Untold Story of a Musical Genius

Schreiber, Brad

Roby, Steven

Humor & Entertainment

Da Capo

Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix is the first comprehensive biography to authenticate the lost sessions, previously unknown recorded collaborations, and rare film/video documents of one of the most innovative and influential rock guitarists in music history. Hendrix’s life is celebrated through exclusive interviews with people who knew him well, including his father, Al Hendrix, musicians Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, his lover and close companion Kathy Etchingham, and many others. Author Steven Roby sifts through a wealth of unreleased and commercially unavailable studio, live, and home recordings to chronicle every stage of Jimi Hendrix’s legendary career. In each instance, he tells the reader whether the event was documented and if it is available. In several tragic instances, the recordings are lost forever. Black Gold is the first book to offer a comprehensive analysis of Hendrix’s unfinished album, First Ray of the New Rising Sun. Three attempts have been made so far to “finish” it, and the author explains why none have succeeded. The book also explores Hendrix’s journeys into jazz with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk; his excursions into blues with B. B. King, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy; and his backing of early rap pioneers The Last Poets. Black Gold features a foreword by Noel Redding, Hendrix’s bass player from 1966 to 1969, as well as 45 photos, including several rare and never-before-published shots. • Rolling Stone magazine selected Jimi Hendrix as one of the 10 most influential artists and songwriters of the 20th century • Although Hendrix has been dead for over 30 years, sales of his music are greater than ever, with 3 to 4 million of his official recordings sold worldwide each year • The book contains previously unpublished information on hundreds of obscure Hendrix performances and lost tapes

Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix

Billboard Books

Hendrix on Hendrix includes the most important interviews from the peak of Jimi Hendrix’s career, 1966 to 1970, carefully selected by one of the world’s leading Jimi Hendrix historians. In this book Hendrix recalls for reporters his heartbreaking childhood and his grueling nights on the Chitlin’ Circuit. He jokes with the judge and the jury on the witness stand, telling them that the incense in his bag was for hiding bad kitchen odors. He explains to an American TV audience that his concept of “Electric Church Music” is intended to wash their souls and give them a new direction. And in his final interview, just days before his death, he discloses that he wants to be remembered as not just another guitar player. In addition to interviews from major mainstream publications, Hendrix on Hendrix includes new transcriptions from European papers, the African-American press, and counterculture newspapers; radio and television interviews; and previously unpublished court transcripts—including one of the drug bust that nearly sent him to prison. Though many respected books have been written about Hendrix, none have completely focused on his own words. This book is as close to a Hendrix autobiography as we will ever see.

Hendrix on Hendrix: Interviews and Encounters with Jimi Hendrix (Musicians in Their Own Words)

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Chicago Review Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Roby, Steven. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Roby, Steven