Jimi Hendrix made his first live appearance in the UK today in 1966 when he jumped on stage with Eric Clapton and Cream. Born in Seattle, Jimi was a backing guitarist to the Isley Brothers and Little Richard before leaving the States to find success.  Within 12 months of arriving in the UK, Jimi had put together the Jimi Hendrix Experience and released the landmark album Are You Experienced?. Jimi and The Experience would release two more seminal albums, Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland before splitting up.

Hendrix was going in a new musical direction and he briefly formed a supergroup of sorts with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles called Band of Gypsys. They released one self-titled album that included an excellent rendition of the anti-war song Machine Gun.

Roughly six months later Jimi was dead and he was buried on today’s date in 1970.

Here is Jimi with Dolly Dagger off the posthumously released Rainbow Bridge album: