How Jimi Hendrix Died at the Age of 27
“All Along the Watchtower” artist, Jimi Hendrix, died at 27 years old in 1970, leaving behind a mysterious poem later called The Story Of Life. Here’s what we know about the details surrounding the guitarist’s death (and some fan conspiracy theories).
‘All Along the Watchtower’ guitarist Jimin Hendrix died at 27 years old
Hendrix, (real name James Marshall Hendrix) is one of history’s greatest guitar players, releasing songs like “All Along the Watchtower,” “Purple Haze,” “Little Wing,” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” After performing at Woodstock and earning international recognition, this artist died at only 27 years old.
According to the police report, the musician died from an overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills — he was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m on Sept. 18, 1970. According to American Songwriter, an autopsy concluded that “Hendrix aspirated his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates.”
What did Jimi Hendrix die of?
With a history of drug consumption, Hendrix’s death was caused by an overdose. Hendrix’s girlfriend at the time reported he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Philip Norman, author of “Wild Thing: The Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix,” described some of the circumstances regarding the artist’s death.
“He had returned from a tour where he was showing signs of absolute extreme exhaustion,” Norman said, according to FOX. “He had a lot of people around who should have been looking after him, but they weren’t. He fell into the clutches of a young German woman named Monika Dannemann. They met while he was on tour some months previously.”
“He was having trouble sleeping,” Norman claimed. “So he asked for something that could help him sleep. She gave him a very powerful sleeping tablet called Vesperax. Each tablet was really a double dose that had to be broken in half.”
According to Biography Your Dictionary, some theories point to Dannemann killing the guitarist, noting that the amount of wine found in Hendrix was “impossible” for one person to consume. Others claim the government had a role in his death. Neither conspiracy has been confirmed.
What were Jimin Hendrix’s last words?
Hendrix’s last words were found in a poem, often referred to as The Story Of Life. According to Yahoo News, the passage reportedly begins, “The story of Jesus/So easy to explain/After they crucified him/A woman, she claimed his name.”
The same article states Hendrix left a voice message on his manager Chas Chandler’s answering machine, saying, “I need help bad, man.”
The artist is survived by his child James Daniel Sundquist. Now, music by Hendrix is available on most major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
How to get help: In the U.S. and Canada, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
