http://articles.mcall.com/2014-03-14/entertainment/mc-experience-hendrix-billy-cox-keswick-20140314_1_jimi-hendrix-experience-noel-redding-mitch-mitchell
Bassist Billy Cox the real Hendrix deal
Billy Cox performs during the Experience Hendrix Tour. (ERIKA GOLDRING, GETTY IMAGES )
The all-star guitarists on the "Experience Hendrix" tours all share a love and admiration for the great late Jimi Hendrix.
Bassist Billy Cox brings something more to the table — he knew and played with Hendrix himself.
Now 72, Cox is the last surviving member of Hendrix's two bands — the final lineup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Band of Gypsys.
Bassist Billy Cox brings something more to the table — he knew and played with Hendrix himself.
Now 72, Cox is the last surviving member of Hendrix's two bands — the final lineup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Band of Gypsys.
"I
always think of the good times," Cox says in a phone interview. "I
never think of any negatives or anything. It was always a good time,
because he was a good person. He was a giving person. He was a creative
person. He had all these good attributes. And if there's a heaven, I'm
sure he went there."
Hendrix died on Sept. 18, 1970, just a little more than three years after he burst onto the worldwide rock scene with the album "Are You Experienced."
Of all of the musicians in Hendrix's bands, including bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell in the Experience or drummer Buddy Miles in Band of Gypsys, Cox had the longest association with Hendrix.
The two were in the Army and stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., in 1961 when their paths first crossed. On that day, a group of soldiers went to see a John Wayne movie and were returning to base.
"We left the theater and it was raining and we were all running for cover," Cox recalls. "I wound up on the doorstep of the service club number one, and the window was up and I heard this guitar playing. And he [Hendrix] was trying to do some things, but he wasn't quite getting there. Something about this playing, I just couldn't explain it. So I turned to the guy standing next to me and I said 'That's pretty unique.' And he says 'That sounds like a bunch of crap.' And I think to the human ear, it did. But I wasn't listening with the human ear.
"I immediately went in and introduced myself to him. I told him, 'You know, I play a little bit of bass.' And he said, 'Go turn your service card in and check out and let's do some jamming.' I did that and one thing led to another. We looked at each other, and we started grinning and just laughed because we knew we had locked into each other."
Hendrix and Cox soon formed a band that, after their discharge from the Army, played clubs around the Southeast and Midwest — essentially the "Chitlin Circuit" — as Hendrix continued to develop his singular style of playing.
In 1964, Hendrix decided to move to New York to look for his big break, which came two years later when he was introduced to former Animals bassist Chas Chandler, who was starting a career in management and producing. Chandler took Hendrix to London, where the original Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed, and his career took off.
Cox remained in touch with Hendrix after the guitarist relocated to New York, and Hendrix wanted Cox to go to London with him. "He said 'This guy is going to send me to Europe and make me a star. And I told him about you, and can you get to New York?'" Cox recalls.
Hendrix died on Sept. 18, 1970, just a little more than three years after he burst onto the worldwide rock scene with the album "Are You Experienced."
Of all of the musicians in Hendrix's bands, including bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell in the Experience or drummer Buddy Miles in Band of Gypsys, Cox had the longest association with Hendrix.
The two were in the Army and stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., in 1961 when their paths first crossed. On that day, a group of soldiers went to see a John Wayne movie and were returning to base.
"We left the theater and it was raining and we were all running for cover," Cox recalls. "I wound up on the doorstep of the service club number one, and the window was up and I heard this guitar playing. And he [Hendrix] was trying to do some things, but he wasn't quite getting there. Something about this playing, I just couldn't explain it. So I turned to the guy standing next to me and I said 'That's pretty unique.' And he says 'That sounds like a bunch of crap.' And I think to the human ear, it did. But I wasn't listening with the human ear.
"I immediately went in and introduced myself to him. I told him, 'You know, I play a little bit of bass.' And he said, 'Go turn your service card in and check out and let's do some jamming.' I did that and one thing led to another. We looked at each other, and we started grinning and just laughed because we knew we had locked into each other."
Hendrix and Cox soon formed a band that, after their discharge from the Army, played clubs around the Southeast and Midwest — essentially the "Chitlin Circuit" — as Hendrix continued to develop his singular style of playing.
In 1964, Hendrix decided to move to New York to look for his big break, which came two years later when he was introduced to former Animals bassist Chas Chandler, who was starting a career in management and producing. Chandler took Hendrix to London, where the original Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed, and his career took off.
Cox remained in touch with Hendrix after the guitarist relocated to New York, and Hendrix wanted Cox to go to London with him. "He said 'This guy is going to send me to Europe and make me a star. And I told him about you, and can you get to New York?'" Cox recalls.
Cox
had to politely decline. He had hit a rough patch and didn't have the
money to go New York. But Cox says that before Hendrix hung up the
phone, he made a promise: 'I'm going to make it and I'll send for you.' "
That's exactly what happened in April 1969, when Hendrix split with Redding and called on Cox to be his new bassist. Cox agreed, even though his own career had taken off after his bands were hired for the television shows "Night Train" and "The Beat."
The decision took him to Woodstock — Cox's first major gig with the Jim Hendrix Experience. Cox remembers the feeling of amazement he, Hendrix and Mitchell felt when they first saw the size crowd from a room in a loft on the festival grounds.
"Jimi pulled the curtain back and looked and his eyes were big as quarters," Cox says. "But in his wisdom he said, 'You know what, these people are sending a lot of energy up to the bandstand. So what we're going to do is we're going to take that energy, absorb it musically and send it right back to them.' And we stayed on stage, we went out and we stayed on stage almost two hours, I think an hour and maybe 48, 51 minutes or something of that nature. And that's what we did. We took that energy and sent it right back to the crowd. And it was incredible. We enjoyed ourselves and the crowd was enjoying themselves, too."
Soon after that, Hendrix disbanded the Experience and formed the Band of Gypsys with Cox and Miles. The next year featured tours and lots of time in the studio, where Cox helped Hendrix revive musical ideas they worked on after the Army.
Hendrix died before finishing what was going to be his fourth album — possibly a two-record set. But many of the songs got finished or were close to completion, and they have been released on such posthumous Hendrix albums as "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun" and "Cry Of Love."
Cox remembers those days in the early 1960s when he and Hendrix were exploring musical ideas.
That's exactly what happened in April 1969, when Hendrix split with Redding and called on Cox to be his new bassist. Cox agreed, even though his own career had taken off after his bands were hired for the television shows "Night Train" and "The Beat."
The decision took him to Woodstock — Cox's first major gig with the Jim Hendrix Experience. Cox remembers the feeling of amazement he, Hendrix and Mitchell felt when they first saw the size crowd from a room in a loft on the festival grounds.
"Jimi pulled the curtain back and looked and his eyes were big as quarters," Cox says. "But in his wisdom he said, 'You know what, these people are sending a lot of energy up to the bandstand. So what we're going to do is we're going to take that energy, absorb it musically and send it right back to them.' And we stayed on stage, we went out and we stayed on stage almost two hours, I think an hour and maybe 48, 51 minutes or something of that nature. And that's what we did. We took that energy and sent it right back to the crowd. And it was incredible. We enjoyed ourselves and the crowd was enjoying themselves, too."
Soon after that, Hendrix disbanded the Experience and formed the Band of Gypsys with Cox and Miles. The next year featured tours and lots of time in the studio, where Cox helped Hendrix revive musical ideas they worked on after the Army.
Hendrix died before finishing what was going to be his fourth album — possibly a two-record set. But many of the songs got finished or were close to completion, and they have been released on such posthumous Hendrix albums as "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun" and "Cry Of Love."
Cox remembers those days in the early 1960s when he and Hendrix were exploring musical ideas.
AHORA EN ESPAÑOL:
El bajista Billy Cox el negocio de bienes Hendrix
Billy Cox realiza durante el Experience Hendrix Tour.Billy Cox realiza durante el Experience Hendrix Tour. ( ERIKA GOLDRING , GETTY IMAGES )14 de marzo 2014 | Por Alan Sculley , Especial para The Morning CallLos guitarristas de todo - estrella en el " Experience Hendrix " tours comparten un amor y admiración por la gran tarde Jimi Hendrix .El bajista Billy Cox aporta algo más a la mesa - que sabía y jugó con él mismo Hendrix.Ahora de 72 años, Cox es el último miembro sobreviviente de dos bandas de Hendrix - la alineación final de la experiencia de Jimi Hendrix y The Band of Gypsys ." Siempre pienso en los buenos tiempos ", dice Cox en una entrevista telefónica . "Nunca me ocurre nada negativo ni nada. Siempre fue un buen momento , porque él era una buena persona. Era una persona dar. Era una persona creativa. Tenía todos estos buenos atributos . Y si hay un cielo, 'm seguro de que fue allí " .Hendrix murió el 18 de septiembre de 1970, apenas un poco más de tres años después de que irrumpió en la escena del rock de todo el mundo con el álbum " Are You Experienced ".De todos los músicos en bandas de Hendrix , entre ellos el bajista Noel Redding y el baterista Mitch Mitchell en la experiencia o el batería Buddy Miles en Band of Gypsys , Cox tuvo la asociación más larga con Hendrix.Los dos estaban en el Ejército y estacionados en Fort Campbell , Kentucky, en 1961, cuando sus caminos se cruzaron por primera vez . Ese día, un grupo de soldados fue a ver una película de John Wayne y regresaban a la base." Salimos del teatro y estaba lloviendo y estábamos todos en busca de amparo , " Cox recuerda. " Terminé en la puerta del servicio en el club número uno, y la ventana estaba arriba y escuché esto de tocar la guitarra . Y él [ Hendrix ] estaba tratando de hacer algunas cosas, pero no era bastante para llegar allí. Algo de esto jugar, yo no podía explicarlo. Así que me volví hacia el hombre de pie junto a mí y me dijo: ' Eso es bastante único. ' Y él dice: " Eso suena como un montón de mierda . " Y creo que para el oído humano , lo hizo. Pero yo no escuchaba con el oído humano." Inmediatamente me fui y me presenté a él. Le dije , 'Sabes , yo toco un poco de bajo. ' Y él dijo: 'Ve a su vez su tarjeta de servicio y el de salida , y vamos a hacer un poco de atasco . Hice eso y una cosa llevó a la otra . Nos miramos el uno al otro, y empezamos a sonreír y solo se rió porque sabíamos que habíamos encerrado en sí . "Hendrix y Cox pronto formaron una banda que , tras el alta del Ejército, clubes de todo el Sudeste y Centro-Oeste jugó - esencialmente el " Circuito Chitlin " - como Hendrix continuó desarrollando su singular estilo de juego .En 1964, Hendrix decidió mudarse a Nueva York en busca de su gran oportunidad , que llegó dos años más tarde cuando fue presentado a los ex Animales bajista Chas Chandler, que estaba empezando una carrera en la gestión y producción . Chandler tomó Hendrix a Londres, donde se formó la experiencia original de Jimi Hendrix , y su carrera despegó.Cox se mantuvo en contacto con Hendrix después de que el guitarrista se trasladó a Nueva York, y Hendrix quería Cox para ir a Londres con él. " Él dijo:" Este hombre me va a enviar a Europa y hacerme una estrella . Y le habló de ti , y puedes llegar a Nueva York ? " Cox recuerda.Cox tuvo que declinar cortésmente . Él había golpeado a una mala racha y no tenía el dinero para ir de Nueva York. Pero Cox dice que antes de Hendrix colgó el teléfono , hizo una promesa: " . Voy a hacerlo y voy a enviar para usted ' "Eso es exactamente lo que ocurrió en abril de 1969, cuando Hendrix se separó de Redding y pidió a Cox para ser su nuevo bajista . Cox estuvo de acuerdo, a pesar de que su carrera se había quitado después de que sus bandas fueron contratados para los programas de televisión " Night Train " y " The Beat ".La decisión le llevó a Woodstock - primer concierto importante de Cox con la experiencia de Jim Hendrix. Cox recuerda la sensación de asombro que , Hendrix y Mitchell sintió cuando vio por primera vez a la multitud tamaño de una habitación en un loft en el recinto del festival .
" Jimi corrió la cortina y miró , y sus ojos eran grandes como cuartos ", dice Cox. " Pero en su sabiduría dijo: '¿Sabes qué , estas personas están enviando una gran cantidad de energía de hasta el quiosco de música . Así que lo que vamos a hacer es que vamos a tener esa energía, absorberla musicalmente y enviarlo derecho de nuevo a ellos . ' Y nos quedamos en el escenario, salimos y nos quedamos en el escenario casi dos horas , creo que una hora y tal vez 48, 51 minutos o algo de esa naturaleza . Y eso es lo que hicimos. Tomamos esa energía y la mandamos de vuelta a la multitud. y fue increíble. Nos lo pasamos muy bien y la gente estaba disfrutando de sí mismos, también. "Pronto después de eso, Hendrix disolvió la experiencia y formó la Band of Gypsys con Cox y Miles .
El próximo año contó con visitas guiadas y un montón de tiempo en el estudio , donde Cox ayudó a Hendrix a revivir las ideas musicales que trabajaron después de que el Ejército .Hendrix murió antes de terminar lo que iba a ser su cuarto álbum - posiblemente un conjunto de dos registros. Pero muchas de las canciones tiene terminado o estaban a punto de finalizar , y han sido puestos en libertad en dichos álbumes póstumos de Hendrix como "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun " y " Cry Of Love ".Cox recuerda aquellos días en la década de 1960 , cuando él y Hendrix estaban explorando ideas musicales.
