A Brief Moment in History: Recalling the Stage Debut of Jimi Hendrix

On February 20th, 1959, a 16-year-old Jimi Hendrix made his stage debut at the Temple De Hirsch Sinai synagogue in his hometown of Seattle, Washington.

Source: Morgan Media Partners/Ed Caraeff

Playing with an unnamed band at the time, he was supposed to perform pop songs that were, by the sounds of it, supposed to be easier to play. There wasn't a need for flashy solos, but Hendrix had already gained much of the skill he would eventually become known for and couldn't really help himself. His bandmates, however, seemed to still be in the brunt of their learning, and just wanted to play without messing up. 

His first gig turned out to be rather short-lived, as he was fired in the middle of the band's set due to the fact that they thought he was trying to show off. But despite the sudden setback, that night was enough for Hendrix to know for sure that he had found his calling as a musician and performer. 

If that doesn't scream "Guitar master in the making", I don't know what does.

Happy listening!

Hey there! I'm Olive, and I'm a part-time blog writer hoping to share my love of older music and countercultural history. I started this blog during my freshman year of college as a means to get a head start doing what I love most - writing. I've always loved writing and music, and wanted to do something that would involve doing both. Now, I've got this cool (totally not biased) blog page!

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