When his life mysteriously and tragically ended at the age of 27, Jimi Hendrix became another casualty of the peace and love generation's excesses. Email Article Print Article Bookmark RSS Related Content:   Artist Finances   Websites for Artists   Quit Job for Art   Create Your Blog

"This pop business is much harder than people think, it's nerve-wracking and mind-bending." So said the man who started from humble beginnings and rose to the pinnacle of rock and roll success. When most people think of Jimi Hendrix, they think of his virtuoso guitar playing, his penchant for psychedelic drugs, and his hedonistic lifestyle as a rock star. What people don't think of, was his ongoing legal and financial troubles.

Like many musicians of his day, Hendrix fell victim to a variety of shady businessmen and their dubious dealings. Of course, to be fair, part of the blame lies with Hendrix's own negligence and naiveté when dealing with such matters. He was notorious for signing anything that was put in front of him and, invariably, not retaining any copies. This woeful practice would come back to haunt him at the peak of his success. The most egregious example of this was an exclusive artist agreement he signed with a producer in 1965, for the whopping sum of $1.00(that's one-dollar). Inevitably, once Hendrix became one of the biggest selling acts in history, this contract(about which Hendrix inconveniently forgot to tell his current managers) would come home to roost. Even at the height of his career, Hendrix would leave others to sign contracts for him. He eventually learned his lesson, but by then it was too late.

Jimi Hendrix died leaving no will. This left his father, Al Hendrix and the sole heir of his estate, at the mercy of his son's less-than-trustworthy manager and lawyers for a proper accounting. Only one thing was for certain, Jimi's finances were a mess. Many of Jimi's closest friends even wondered where all of his money could have gone. At the time of his death, Hendrix's estate was estimated at a paltry $500,000. A lot less than would be expected of a talent of his magnitude and success. Many of Hendrix's items were put up for auction, per New York State law, which brought in a mere $21,000 in cash. Where the rest of it went was anyone's guess. It took a quarter century
after Jimi's death for Al Hendrix to finally gain control over his son's legacy. During that time, many questionable characters profited from Jimi's music without his consent. Such is what happens when great artists don't have their business affairs in order.

For the inside scoop on Hendrix's life, check out these biographies:

Hendrix : Setting the Record Straight
Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky : The Life...

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