In the final months of his life, Hendrix signs under his Christian name, James Hendrix!
Here is an impossibly rare original cream-colored registration card for the Londonderry Hotel, Park Lane, London, W.1., completed by Jimi Hendrix in blue ballpoint pen upon his arrival at the hotel on March 7th, 1970. The card is noteworthy as Hendrix has registered under his Christian name, James Hendrix. He has also signed the card beautifully under the same name, as James Hendrix. For his permanent address, Hendrix has given, ‘27 E 37th St. N.Y. N.Y.,’ repeating this as his next address after departure: ‘27 E 37th St. New York N.Y.,’ this time choosing to spell out his home base city as ‘New York.’ In lieu of giving his actual Greenwich Village address, Hendrix opted to give the address of his notorious manager, Michael Jeffrey, in New York City. Hendrix has referenced his nationality as ‘American,’ while giving his personal ‘New York’ issued passport number. Although his departure is originally noted as 10th March, the back of the card reveals that Hendrix stayed at the hotel nearly two weeks, until March 19th.
In these final months of his life, Hendrix developed a significant connection to the fashionable Londonderry Hotel. Upon hearing the news that his former live-in girlfriend Kathy Etchingham had just married, Hendrix flew to London where he met Etchingham and tried to convince her to leave her new husband and move back to New York. In fact, it was Etchingham who helped Hendrix as he checked in to the Londonderry Hotel. Hendrix had first met Etchingham, then 20 years old, on the night of his arrival in London four years earlier, on September 24th, 1966, in The Scotch of St. James nightclub. They became a couple during the time of his rise to stardom, and Etchingham was the inspiration behind many of Hendrix's most famous compositions including ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ and ‘Foxy Lady.’ But, by April 1969 the couple had split. During his stay at the Londonderry, Hendrix kept himself busy seeing Etchingham, going to clubs, and jamming with fellow musicians. Hendrix also returned to Olympic Studios, the recording facility where his first two albums Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold As Love were recorded. On March 17th, Hendrix took part in an extended instrumental jam session as well as a version of his own composition, ‘Ezy Ryder,’ a live version of which would appear the following week on Band of Gypsys, the first album released by Hendrix without his original group, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The night before Hendrix left town, he and Stephen Stills jammed at the famed London nightspot The Speakeasy.
After checking out of the Londonderry on March 19th, Hendrix flew back to New York City to prepare for what would become The Cry of Love Tour, with a new Jimi Hendrix Experience, featuring Hendrix on guitar, Mitch Mitchell on drums, and Billy Cox on bass. This would prove to be Hendrix’s final tour. Five months later, Hendrix returned to London from New York for the last time on August 27th, 1970. Once again, and for the last time, Hendrix booked himself into the Park Suite at the Londonderry Hotel. Hendrix would tragically die just 22 days later. Over the next two days, Hendrix would participate in a series of press interviews at his suite at the Londonderry Hotel. Just two days later, Hendrix would headline one of his most iconic performances in front of 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight Festival. He also had plans for a major tour of Europe. During this final stay at the Londonderry, was the scene of an infamous meltdown by Hendrix. The now married Etchingham didn't know Hendrix was back in town until she received a frantic call from her friend Angie Burdon, former wife of Eric Burdon. Angie was asking Etchingham for help as she and a friend were in Jimi's room at the Londonderry, and he'd gone 'mad'. When Etchingham arrived, she found the living room area of the suite wrecked and the two girls sitting there in their underwear. Angie explained they'd run into Jimi at The Speakeasy the night before and came back to his room with him. When they woke in the morning Hendrix went crazy. He banged their heads together, trashed the room and proceeded to lock himself in the bedroom refusing to give them back their clothes. Etchingham defused the situation and got the women clothed and out of the room but not before realizing Jimi was unrecognizable to how she remembered him, and he was very much not well. The Londonderry threw Hendrix out after discovering the damage and Jimi moved into The Cumberland which would become his last known address. Hendrix then flew to the Isle of Wight for his final UK performance. After a brief and troubled number of shows in Europe, Hendrix would return to London where, tragically, he would die just days later, on September 18th, 1970.
Authentic handwritten materials by Hendrix are quite rare and desirable. This is a remarkably rare and unique handwritten piece by Hendrix, with extraordinary ties to the final months, and days, of the legendary guitarist’s life. The registration card measures 4 inches x 5.875 inches (10cm x 15 cm) and is in excellent condition. An extraordinary one-of-a-kind Hendrix collectible of the highest order! Accompanied by full Letters of Authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) and Tracks UK.