Guitar phenom Jimi Hendrix was just coming into his own by the late 1960s, and unfortunately, his tragic death will only leave us guessing as to what might have been.
In 1969, Hendrix brought his Experience to the famed British venue, Royal Albert Hall, at the peak of his popularity. Though his band would change shapes over the next year or so before his death, Hendrix remained the center of it all, dazzling with his incredible technique and performance style.
Hendrix found popularity in Britain during the country’s Blues Revival period of the 1960s and certainly left a mark with what proved to be his final set at the Royal Albert Hall on February 24th, 1969. Fifty-three years later, Hendrix’s playing sounds as fresh as ever and continues to inspire a new generation of musicians. Fortunately, you can experience some of Jimi Hendrix’s performance below. This would mark the final English concert by the original Jimi Hendrix Experience lineup of Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding.
Four tracks from this performance—”Sunshine of Your Love”, “Room Full Of Mirrors”, Bleeding Heart”, and “Smashing of Amps”—would go on to form the 1971 live release, Experience. These recordings were erroneously labeled as being taken from his 2/18/69 concert at the Albert but were in reality performed live on 2/24/69.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Royal Albert Hall – London, England – 2/24/69
[Originally published on 2/24/19]