1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: The twenty seven Club is the production of I Heart 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: Radio and Double Elvis Media. Jimmie Hendricks died at the 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: age of seven, and he lived a life of highs 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: and lows. I can give you twenty seven reasons why 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: that statement is true. Ten would be the average number 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: of seconds it would take for a listener to hear 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: his music and to fall in love with his unique 8 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: style of playing. Seven would be the number of R 9 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: and B bands that fired or traded him for insubordination, 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: for not conforming, for upstaging the lead singer. Imagine that 11 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: firing Jimmie Hendricks. One more would be the number of 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: tabs he stuck on his tongue for a maiden LSD 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: voyage in an apartment on fifty seven Street with a 14 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: girl he just met. Five would be the number of 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: rock royalty you saw him playing a cramp New York 16 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: City club and who were not initially impressed Keith Richards, 17 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: mc jagger, Charlie Watts, Andrew lock Oldham, seymour Stein, I'm 18 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: talking about you. And four would be the number of 19 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: years you'd have left live after The Animals. Bass player 20 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: Chas Chandler saw him play at Cafe Wa in Greenwich 21 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: Village and vowed to make him the biggest sensation in 22 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 1: the UK, all totally. On this our fifth episode of 23 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: season one, oppressive R and B singers made an L 24 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: S D Voyages, unimpressed Rolling Stones and the always searching 25 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: Jimmy Hendrix, I'm Jake Brennan and miss Calls. Little Richards 26 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: ass came crashing back down out of the piano stool, 27 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: having just listed five inches into the air during the 28 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: chorus of Long Tall Sally, and he thought something's missing. 29 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: He banged on the piano keys some more, his left 30 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: hand so forceful it almost broke through the ivory and 31 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: wood to split the damn thing in half. Sweat dripping 32 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: from under his six inch pompadour, down his pancake makeup 33 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: face falling in constant droplets from his nose. With any luck, 34 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: his mask arrow wasn't running too much, but he could 35 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 1: never be too sure. The crowd swelled and screamed, and 36 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: Little Richard's band, the Upsetters, struggled to match the noise level. 37 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 1: He needed a moment in between chords and between shouts 38 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: and his feverish headshakes to figure out what was missing. 39 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: He felt exposed he looked down at his chest and 40 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: noticed that his tie was gone, his dress shirt was 41 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: ripped open at the top, and the first few buttons 42 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: were gone. He put his mouth to the microphone and 43 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: screamed some more, We're gonna have some fun tonight, and 44 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: looked at the front of the crowd. The girls were hysterical, shrieking, 45 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: arms extended towards the stage like little Richard was anecdote, 46 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: and they were six six six when one of those 47 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: girls had stolen his tie, ripped it right off of 48 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: his body during the chorus of Long Tall Sally. The 49 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: show had already been stopped twice by the police that 50 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: night at the Royal Theater in Baltimore, because these chicks 51 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: were rushing the stage, lunging at him, hands like claws. 52 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: They wanted a piece, a piece of his jacket, his tie, whatever. 53 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: These girls from the burbs would be the talk of 54 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: the town with a souvenir ripped from the living, breathing 55 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: body of Little Richard himself. More girls were up in 56 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: the balcony, bum rushing the edge, trying to hurl themselves over. 57 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: More cops up there holding girls back, preventing teenagers from 58 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: plummeting to their death at the feet of a sweaty, 59 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: frenzied Little Richard and the band stopped. A Little Richard 60 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: hollier his thanks into the mic, and something came sailing 61 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: through the air and landed on the drum set. Some 62 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: girls panties now hung off the top of the high hat. 63 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: The drummer peeled them off with this drumstick, twirled them 64 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: around in the air, and flung them towards the piano. 65 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: The Little Richard laughed deliriously and countered off into the 66 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: next number, one to three, two D fruity, rudy, and 67 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: all the while, more panties rocketed from the crowd and 68 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: its stage. On this hot June night in nifty seven, 69 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: a crowd went crazy in Baltimore, sweat heat running, mass gara, 70 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: hurled panties, balcony jumpers, stage rushers, Little Richard in the upsetters, 71 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 1: detonating and up tempo R and B bomb in the 72 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: middle of it all. It was fucking insane. Little Richard 73 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: was a self proclaimed architect of rock and roll, and 74 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: it's hard not to take him at his word. He 75 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: injected camp into R and B music, took jump music 76 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: and made it leap forward. Took swing music and gave 77 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: it a stomach churning underdog. He went to whap Baba 78 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: lu babalap bamboo and everyone stood up at attention. Says 79 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: he taught Paul McCartney, had a squeal, says he taught 80 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: Mick Jagger how to strut, and says he inspired Jimmie 81 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: Hendricks to transcend blues guitar. Over sixty years later, Tutti 82 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: Fruity still sounds like the revolutionary romp under the covers 83 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: that it was meant to be sex the dirty kind, 84 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: and Little Richard was indeed revolutionary, immensely talented, and yes, 85 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: sex incarnate. But Little Richard was also a raging egomaniac, 86 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: an oppressive bandleader and insufferable control freak, a deluded originator, 87 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: an insatiable sex addict. He told his band members exactly 88 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: where they should stand. He'd find them not just for 89 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: miss notes like James Brown. He'd find them for not 90 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: calling him king. He'd find them for being too pretty. 91 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: He'd find them for wearing frillier shirts and fancier outfits 92 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: than him, because we ain't nobody prettier than a Little Richard. 93 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: When he was younger, he performed in drag his Princess Lavan. 94 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: As a kid growing up and God fearing make in Georgia, 95 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: he'd wear makeup and his mother's curtains as a long 96 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: flowing dress. His church deacon father was having none of it. 97 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: He tied his son up naked and beat him for 98 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: not being more manly. And he described himself as omnisexual. 99 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,799 Speaker 1: He was hot for girls, hot for boys, big time voyer. 100 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: He once had a Devil's threesome with Buddy Holly and 101 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: a stripper backstage, finishing off just as the MC was 102 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: introducing Buddy to the stage. Naked angel dust powdered fuck 103 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: fests on the floor of hotel rooms with the norm Orgies, 104 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: gender fluidity, lots and lots of cocaine. I'll want Baba 105 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: lu Bop and busted nuts for days, and of course God, 106 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,919 Speaker 1: the duality of a little Richard, the child of God, 107 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: both enamored with and ashamed of his colonel desires, some 108 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: would say his perversions. Sometimes he'd bring his Bible with 109 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 1: him the Orgies, get thee to the orgy, brother and 110 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: do it with God by your side. Little Richard searching 111 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 1: for his true self, God on one shoulder and the 112 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: devil on the other, searching through a haze of powdered drug, 113 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: searching through naked bodies pressed up against each other, searching 114 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: for the tie that was ripped from his neck while 115 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: he was singing Long Tall Sally. Years after Jimmy Hendrick 116 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: saw a Little Richard preach in Seattle, he found himself 117 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: back in the originator's orbit and on the payroll. In Atlanta, 118 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: four Jimmy met Glenn Willings, guitarists and Little Richard's band. 119 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: Jimmy was sitting in a restaurant with his guitar on 120 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: his lap. He'd been touring recently with Gorgeous George, but 121 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: had missed the bus when it left for the city 122 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: the next day. Why yes, Jimmy told Glenn, I am 123 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: a guitar player. I am looking for work, and Jimmy 124 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: was going by Maurice James at that point, the first 125 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: of many nome to guitar he would assume over his 126 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: early professional years. Glenn took Maurice to audition for Little Richard, 127 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: who was looking for another guitarist. Little Richard hired of 128 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: no reservations. Maurice Jimmy, whoever he was, This guy played 129 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: like bb King and he had energy to spare. Jimmy 130 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: would soak up so much about Little Richard and use 131 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,679 Speaker 1: it as he struggled to define himself. The way he dressed, 132 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: the way he sang, the way he swaggered, the way 133 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: he didn't give a fuck, even his mustache. Some saw 134 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: a student honoring a teacher, but Little Richard saw it differently. 135 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: Little Richard saw this kid, Maurice James, if that was 136 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,559 Speaker 1: actually his real name, as someone who wanted to steal 137 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: the spotlight, wanted to be prettier than Little Richard. It 138 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: ain't nobody prettier than Little Richard. Jimmy Hendricks plus Little 139 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: Richard may seem like a match made in heaven to many, 140 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: but it was the opposite Richard. The King would find 141 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,839 Speaker 1: Jimmy the kid constantly, he'd warn him, but no matter, 142 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: the kid would always find a way to undermine the King. 143 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,719 Speaker 1: But one night, after a show in Washington, d C. 144 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: The kid missed the bus, and on that night, the 145 00:08:48,840 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: King had finally had enough. The King refused to pay 146 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: the kid for that night's gig. And who the hell 147 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: did the kid think he was? He violated all the 148 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: rules that night. He even found some new rules to violate. 149 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: As soon as the upsiders stepped out on the stage 150 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: as a Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, California, Little Richard 151 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 1: was furious. It was the band stationed behind his piano 152 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: like they were told. And then there was the kid, 153 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: Maurice Jimmy, his jet black hair and luscious curls, wearing 154 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: a blouse and a goddamn bolero hat on the king's 155 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 1: goddamn stage. Bull shit. Little Richard took his anger out 156 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: of the piano as he launched into Kansas City, but 157 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,599 Speaker 1: he couldn't take his eyes off Jimmy, and then it 158 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: got worse. Two songs in, Jimmy lost his damn mind, 159 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: played the guitar with his teeth and the crowd went wild. 160 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: Flung it up a for his head for a quick solo, 161 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: and the crowd roared their approval. Stuck it out from 162 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: his crotch, pointed towards the girls in the audience. He 163 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: even wiggled his tongue. The small but ravenous crowd ate 164 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 1: it up. Little Richard could hardly contain himself. Ain't nobody 165 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: prettier than the Little Richard? Ain't nobody flashier than the 166 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: Little Richard? Ain't nobody paying money to see nobody on 167 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: that stage but little fucking Richard. I am little Richard, 168 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: the King shouted at the band backstage. When the show 169 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: was over. There was wide I'm gonna funk up a 170 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: guy's stare was directed at Jimmy. It was the same 171 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: stare he made when he's sang tunes like true Fine 172 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: Mama and Ready Teddy. Was a little Richard thinking about sex, 173 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: about whooping your ass? You just can never tell I 174 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:43,959 Speaker 1: am the only little Richard. I'm the only one that's 175 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: pretty around here? Are you deaf? Are you stupid? And 176 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: then he waved the back of his hand towards Jimmy 177 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: like an emperor would try to scatter the riff raft 178 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: out of his kingdom. Get rid of that outfit at once. 179 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: If you think I'm paying you after what, you pulled 180 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: the seed and you get another thing coming. Jimmy took 181 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: it all in stride. He knew it was a risk 182 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: that he had to take to dress like that, to 183 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: play like that. He wanted to feel what Little Richard 184 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: felt each night, to feel wanted by the audience, to 185 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: perform and have the audience respond. He also wanted to 186 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: knock the King down a peg, no doubt. Jimmy and 187 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: Glenn Williams walked away from their boss's meltdown that night, 188 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,079 Speaker 1: laughing making fun of the quote unquote Queen of rock 189 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 1: and roll, And a short time later, Jimmy was chatting 190 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: up Little Miss Strange at the bar after a show 191 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: and lost track of time and the upsetters tour bus 192 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: hit the road. Jimmy wasn't on it. When Jimmy caught 193 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: up with the band, Little Richard's brother and tour manager, 194 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: Robert Penniman, intercepted him before he could get into another 195 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: row with the King, and Jimmy gave him every excuse 196 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: he had. He's just seen this chick, Bob. She was 197 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: f I n E fine, little Miss Strange indeed, yeah, yeah, yeah, 198 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 1: Robert said, listen, kid, you're done. You're laid all this time, 199 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: and when you're not late, you make my brother look 200 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 1: like a fool. There's only one king. It ain't Elvis, 201 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: and it's sure as hell, ain't you. Jimmy lost the 202 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:02,679 Speaker 1: Little Richard gig the same way he had gotten it, 203 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: and missing a bus. There was no surprise to Jimmy 204 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,680 Speaker 1: that had been fired. At this point. It was kind 205 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: of his thing, jumping from group to group, searching for 206 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: the right fit, the right chemistry. He was talented, flamboyant, 207 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: hungry player, all of those things, but he was also 208 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: real good at getting fired. After he left the Army, 209 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: Jimmy toward the Hipland Circuit with the King Casuals, remember 210 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: them two k's. The Shipland Circuit was a string of 211 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: African American clubs in the American South where black bands 212 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: could play a black audiences, pool halls, barbecue joints, roadhouses. 213 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: Instead of finding a day job to supplement as meager earnings, 214 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: Jimmy started to pick up side gigs. As the guitarist. 215 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: He tore throughout the circuit with R and B icons 216 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: like Carla Thomas, Jerry Butler, Slim Harpo, and Solomon Burke. 217 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: Burke was larger than life, huge voice with a huge 218 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: presence to match not only a soul singer, but a preacher, 219 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: a boot and a part time undertaker. That's right, undertaker. 220 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: Dude had all the bases covered. He was on the 221 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: pop charts with cry to me and just out of 222 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: reach of my two open arms. Solomon Burke's at the 223 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: center of one of the craziest stories ever about touring 224 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,079 Speaker 1: the Deep South in the sixties. Burke and his band 225 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: once played the Ku Klux Klans Annual rally in Mississippi, 226 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: and they had no idea, no advanced warning. They just 227 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 1: booked a gig and showed up ready to play and 228 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: get paid. The sheriff gave them specific instructions about when 229 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: they'd start and when they'd stopped, and pledged police protection 230 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:37,839 Speaker 1: during the show, as well as an escort back to 231 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: the highway. When it was over, and Burke and his 232 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 1: band took the stage, looked out at thousands and thousands 233 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: of kkkres and hooded robes walking towards them, and Burke 234 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: played on like a boss and get paid like a boss, 235 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,439 Speaker 1: and then get the funk out of Dodge, and the 236 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: next night they were back playing the black audiences again. 237 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 1: But to Jimmie Hendricks years later, Solomon Burke's tour bus 238 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: was like having a traveling convenience juice candy, gum cook 239 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: his booze ice water sandwiches. Hungry, thirsty Burke would happily 240 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 1: sell you whatever you were creating in this particular package 241 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 1: store with Jimmy on the circuit included Otis Redding and 242 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: Joe text both of whom were just starting to come 243 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: into their own and hit their strat and the charts. Again. 244 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: Like the pairing with Little Richard, it was too good 245 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: to be true. Jimmy was all over the place. His 246 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: playing was too flamboyant, too hungry, too outside the box 247 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: for what Burke needed. Burke was looking for the right player, 248 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: and Jimmy was looking for the right fit. And never 249 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: the twain shall meet. So Solomon Burke traded Jimmy Hendricks 250 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: to Otis Redding for a couple of horn players one 251 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: night on the tour. No hard feelings, kid, this just 252 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: is working, Just gonna get you out of my mind. 253 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: A few days later, Otis ditched Jimmy for the same reason. 254 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: It's too flashy, too out there, too hard to handle. 255 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: They dumped Jimmy on the side of the road. Once again, 256 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: he stood in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the 257 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: American South, while a tour bus pulled away from More 258 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: ill fated pairings followed. Curtis Mayfield had Jimmy ejected from 259 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: his tour when Jimmy busted Curtis's amp during an opening 260 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: set playing with the marble Letts. It happened again with 261 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: Bobby Womack, and again with Iconina Turner, and again with 262 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: Sam and Dave the Isley Brothers, and they didn't fire Jimmy. 263 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: He just couldn't conform to their dress code and dance routines, 264 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: and Jimmy didn't fit in on anyone's stage. So Jimmy 265 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: went back to New York City, where he had a 266 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: hawky his guitar to pay the rent. And then he 267 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: had two For two of his meetings. One was in 268 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: the lobby of the seedy Times Square Jason Hotel America. 269 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: Fate put him in front of Curtis Knight. Curtis worked 270 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: the city as a pimp first and a band leader second. 271 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: He fronted his own band, the Squires, and they needed 272 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: a guitar player he wanted Jimmy. He let him use 273 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: one of his guitars, share the spotlight with him, get 274 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: him a professional contract, and offered him he couldn't refuse. 275 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: The second meeting was with Linda Keith, twenty year old 276 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: British Vogue model, girlfriend of the Rolling Stones Keith Richards. 277 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: She was in town ahead of the stones nineteen sixty 278 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 1: six American tour it was doing some recon on culture 279 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: and music, taking the pulse. She saw Jimmy play with 280 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: Curtis Knight at the Cheetah Club one night and invited 281 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: him back to her friend's apartment where she was staying, 282 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: and that night she also invited him to put something 283 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: on his tongue, a thin tap no bigger than the 284 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: fingerprint on her forefinger LST. Jimmy Hendricks was about to 285 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: take his first trip and nothing would ever again be 286 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: the same. We'll be right back after this word word word. 287 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: Jimmy Hendricks looked into the mirror and saw Marilyn Monroe 288 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: looking back at him. The reflection was his, but the 289 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: face was not. The face was white, not black, platinum 290 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: blonde hair not jet black, squinty eyes and pursed lips. 291 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: He turned his head slightly to the right and Marilyn's 292 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: head followed. He opened his eyes wide and hers did 293 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: the same. It was the LSD talking, definitely the LSD, 294 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: the Tablinda gave him just a few hours earlier. Up 295 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 1: here in Linda's friends apartment on Street, she had a 296 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 1: hotel room booked in the city while she waited for 297 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: her boyfriend Keith Richards, and the rolling stones to arrive 298 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: on tour, but she wanted human interaction, friends, new friends 299 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: that she could drop acid with. She had seen Jimmy 300 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: for the first time that night at the Cheetah Club 301 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: in Manhattan and couldn't believe her ears. Couldn't believe her eyes. 302 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 1: He played like no one else, commanded the stage like 303 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: no one else, So why the hell was he slumming 304 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 1: it at the Cheetah with Curtis Knight. Jimmy didn't know 305 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: how long it was supposed to take before the acid 306 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 1: kicked in, but right now seemed about right. Marilyn Monroe 307 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: looked back at him from the mirror, and everything in 308 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: that moment changed the doors to his mind and swung 309 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 1: wide open. The air and the apartment caressed his arms. 310 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: He touched the wooden frame of the mirror, and it 311 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,360 Speaker 1: was velvet on. The apartment's walls were a far out 312 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: trip on their own, and acid or no acid. Painted 313 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,880 Speaker 1: deep red with leopard spots, it was the perfect canvas 314 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: to get lost in. If you looked at the wall 315 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: long enough, the spots would start to melt into each other. 316 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: They became one. That wall was blowing, blowing his mind 317 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: as a tomorrow or just the end of time? Jesus, 318 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: how green did he? Ben? Would? Linda brought him back 319 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: to the apartment on Street that night. She was beautiful, 320 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: short black hair, mondrianesque dressed, big square earrings, proper English accent, 321 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: as sharp as glass, and she started talking to Jimmy 322 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: about Sonny Terry and Robert Johnson and Sonny Boy Williamson. 323 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: And Jimmy was smitten, of course, but he was indeed green. 324 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: I want to try some acid, And then they asked, now, 325 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: I don't think so, Jimmy replied, but I'd like to 326 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: try some of the at LSD if you have it. 327 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,719 Speaker 1: Jimmy had puffed some weeds, some hash, he popped some pills. 328 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: But this was new territory, uncharted territory. No one on 329 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 1: the Chitland circuit was dropping acid. No one in Harlem 330 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 1: was tripping. Harlem was smoking and snorting. LSD was designer 331 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: a drug for white kids. Linda had Keith Richard's tweed 332 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: box of forty five with her, which they put on 333 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,120 Speaker 1: the high fi in the apartment. John Lee Hooker's Dimples, 334 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: Little Walter's My Babe. She pulled out her copy of 335 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: Bob Dylan's brand new blonde dom blonde, his hair loud 336 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: and proud on the front cover like a white Jewish 337 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: version of Jimmy's do. Dylan sang about everybody getting stoned, 338 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: and Jimmy thought, how perfect is this? Dylan sang about 339 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,639 Speaker 1: a leopard skin pill box hat, and Jimmy looked at 340 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: the leopard spots on the wall again and thought, what 341 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: in the actual fuck? And they sat on the apartment 342 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: floor listening to music and tripping hard and let the 343 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: music paint pictures in their minds. The doors were blown open, 344 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: and as he can tinue to search for himself, Jimmy 345 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: was offered new possibilities by LSD. The entire experience didn't 346 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 1: give him a defined character to slip into, not even 347 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,439 Speaker 1: a roadmap of sorts. It offered him the freedom to 348 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: slip between ideas. A sound was a sound was sound. 349 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: A sound could be a color. A color could be 350 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: a feeling. A feeling could be an idea. What a 351 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 1: six turned out to be nine? I don't mind. And 352 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: Linda asked Jimmy why he played with that pimp, Curtis Knight. 353 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: He could see so much better. Jimmy explained that Curtis 354 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: was an okay guy. He was the first one in 355 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: a long time to truly value him as his own player. 356 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: He offered him a place in the spotlight up front, 357 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 1: next to the front man. Plus, Jimmy didn't own a 358 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: guitar anymore, and Curtis love him used one ship. Linda 359 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: thought she could get him a guitar, and when the 360 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 1: Stones rolled into town that summer, Linda borrowed one of 361 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: Key's guitars, white Fender Stratocaster, and passed it on to Jimmy. 362 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: Up to this point, Jimmy had played budget guitarist, guitarist, 363 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: didn't break the band, inc but we're functional. Nonetheless, next 364 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: to Gibson's less Paul Leo, Fender Stratt was one of 365 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: the quintessential rock guitars, A player's guitar, a real guitar. 366 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: It would go on to be the guitar that was 367 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: immediately identified with Jimmy Hendricks, Linda, the lsd, the strap, 368 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 1: the years and gigs under his belt playing for others. 369 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,199 Speaker 1: Jimmy took all of it and tried to imagine what 370 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 1: it would look like if he did his own thing, 371 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: to pull all these experiences through that wide open door, 372 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:29,119 Speaker 1: to have a bag of his own, as James Brown 373 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: would say, to get up and do his thing, step 374 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 1: aside and let a man in. He formed a pickup group, 375 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: something to do when he wasn't running with Curtis to 376 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: pim a couple of dudes. He ran into it. Man. 377 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: He's music included Jeff Skunk Baxter, who would go on 378 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 1: to rock one of the greatest mustaches in the galaxy, 379 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: as well as play with Steely Dan. Jimmy took advantage 380 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: of the forward momentum and changed his identity again. He 381 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: was no longer Maurice James. He was now Jimmy James 382 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 1: and this was his group, the Blue Flames. Their new 383 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,440 Speaker 1: hot became Cafe Wah, ground zero for hipsters and Granish 384 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:06,120 Speaker 1: village where one of his heroes, Bob Dylan and conquered 385 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: the little world of New York City before tackling the 386 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: world at large. Linda was hell bad to get Jimmy signed. 387 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: For someone to notice he was that good, surely would 388 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: be an easy task to bring any unsuspecting musician or 389 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: manager down the stairs to the dank den of the 390 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: wall into that small room where Jimmy's stage presence alone 391 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: would be undeniable. First, she brought the Rolling Stones. Manager 392 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: Andrew log told him downstairs. He barely paid attention to Jimmy. 393 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: He was worried about whatever the hell was going on 394 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: between his hot shot Hippy on stage and his guitarist's 395 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 1: girlfriend pass. Next, she brought the Rolling Stones themselves downstairs. 396 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: Most of them talked amongst themselves as Jimmy ran through 397 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: wild Thing and hang on Sloopy and Dylan's like a 398 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: rolling stone. Keith Richards watched the whole thing, stone faced, 399 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: arms crossed tightly. He scaled in the general direction of 400 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: the hot shot who was playing his guitar, had been 401 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: hanging around his lady and listening to his records hard Pass. 402 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: Then she brought seymour Stein down the stairs. Stein had 403 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: just founded Sire Productions, which would suit Morph into Sire Records. 404 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: He got cold feet as soon as Jimmy took that 405 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: clean white stratocaster and smashed it. Smashed Keith Richard's stratocaster 406 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: like it meant nothing to a guitar as a guitar 407 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,719 Speaker 1: as a guitar. The fourth time would be the charm 408 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 1: when Linda brought a six ft forward bass player with 409 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: a mod cut in an English accent from Newcastle, down 410 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: the stairs to the basement below McDougall Street, and from 411 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: there everything would change for Jimmy Hendricks. In an instant, 412 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: Jimmie Hendricks sang the opening line, Hey Joe, and Chaz Chandler, 413 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: bass player for the u K's The Animals, spilled his 414 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:19,159 Speaker 1: milkshake all over his lap. It was Pavlovian lyric and 415 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 1: melody begets totally embarrassing snaff foo in public. The milkshake 416 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: was everywhere, the vanilla cream running down his trouser legs, 417 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 1: splattered on one of his leather shoes, a pedal of 418 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: glop pooling on the floor. Linda Keith sat next to 419 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: him in the audience at the Cafe wa and she 420 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 1: scuttled her chair backwards to avoid getting sprayed with friendly fire. 421 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: Chaz barely noticed the spill. His attention was undivided, both 422 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: eyes on Jimmy. Holy shit, chas exclaimed in his thick accent. 423 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 1: Whether it was divine intervention or sheer coincidences beside the point. 424 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: The fact of the matter is that Chads had been 425 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: listening to Tim roses Hey Jo that summer and thought 426 00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: it would be a chart topper in England. If you 427 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: could find the right artists to cover it. And now 428 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,199 Speaker 1: here he was, and this hip basement club in New 429 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 1: York City, next to a woman he just met, watching 430 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: a guitar player he'd never heard of, and the guy 431 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: opens his set with Hey Joe. It was fucking cosmic. 432 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 1: Never mind that the guys summoned fourth these transformative covers 433 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: of soul nuggets like in the Midnight Hour, Knock on 434 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 1: Wood and Mercy Mercy. It was like Chaz was hearing 435 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: them all for the first time. The Trogs wild thing 436 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 1: that was Jimmy's now, and they were all Jimmy's now. 437 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,440 Speaker 1: Linda ran into Chaz the day before outside another club 438 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: in New York. She didn't know him personally, but knew 439 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: of him from the Stones. Knew he played bass for 440 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 1: The Animals, a British invasion group out of Newcastle with 441 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: a couple of iconic hits, including House of the Rising Sun, 442 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: which was huge on both sides of the pond. Chaz 443 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,399 Speaker 1: stood at six ft four inches. He was always in 444 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: the back of the band's promo shots, towering over the 445 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: other chaps the long base to boot. Keith Richards had 446 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: mentioned to Linda the chas was leaving The Animals after 447 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 1: their current tour and was shifting his focus to producing 448 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: an artist management. He just had to see Jimmy play. 449 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: Linda insisted, this guy could be the guy you've been 450 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: looking for. He plays all the time at Cafe wat. 451 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 1: You feel like you're in this alternate reality when you're 452 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: watching him, watching this guy who was immediately identifiable as 453 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 1: one of the best things you've ever seen, get The 454 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: rest of the room is somewhere else. They're not witnessing 455 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: the same thing that you're witnessing. It's almost like it's 456 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: so good that it's missing the majority of these people, 457 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: and they don't know what they're looking at, don't know 458 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: how to explain it, don't know how to rationalize it. 459 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 1: You've never seen anything like this. Chas Chas agreed to 460 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: meet Linda the next afternoon at Cafe Wa and witnessed 461 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 1: Jimmy firsthand for himself. On stage, Jimmy was no longer 462 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: beholden to the vision of another band leader, no longer 463 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: held was someone else's dress code, someone else's performance style. 464 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: Didn't have to worry about being fined or something stupid. 465 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 1: He could explore what it meant to be himself whatever 466 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: that was. Even if he was still hiding behind this 467 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: Jimmy James persona, Chaz had the same reaction that Linda 468 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: originally had. If anything is enthusiasm transcended hers. He thought 469 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,159 Speaker 1: to himself, this is ridiculous. Why hasn't anyone snatched this 470 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: guy up yet? There must be a catch. After the show, 471 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: Chaz introduced himself and cut to the chase. He wanted 472 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: Jimmy to come back to England with him. There was 473 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: a reason why America wasn't catching on and an equal 474 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: reason why England was primed for an introduction, and the 475 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,120 Speaker 1: history of music hall was still in England's musical bloodstream. 476 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: The flamboyance, the theatrics, the fantasy and the whimsy, and 477 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,399 Speaker 1: the scene over there was full of bands smitten with 478 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: American blues and R and B, two places where Jimmy 479 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: was coming from. It was sure fire a way to 480 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 1: exit the disaffected scene in the States and becomes something 481 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: entirely different abroad. Not to die, but to be reborn, 482 00:27:55,440 --> 00:28:02,360 Speaker 1: away from land so battered and torn forever. Jimmy took 483 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 1: a drag from his half smoked cigarette did that nervous 484 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: reaction thing where his nostrils flared up and his closed 485 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 1: lips curled into a half smile, eyes avoiding chassis to 486 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 1: look up at the low ceiling. He wasn't sure England. 487 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: It was like another world man. What if it was 488 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: a disaster? What if he failed? He was hawking guitars 489 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: and relying on the kindness of strangers in a country 490 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: he was familiar with. What would he do if he 491 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 1: fell on hard times in a foreign land? On the 492 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,639 Speaker 1: other hand, what the hell? What's the worst that could happen? 493 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: In the States, Jimmy had encountered his fair share of roadblocks, tribulations, nonbelievers. 494 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: If it wasn't a little Richard firing his asked for insubordination, 495 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: then it was the black owned hotels he had to 496 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 1: stay at that were forty miles away from the venue 497 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 1: he was playing. Sure, he won twenty five dollars at 498 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: the Apollo Theaters amateur contest, but if he kept accidentally 499 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: breaking gear that belonged to the likes of Curtis Mayfield, 500 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: he was gonna need a lot more than talent show money. 501 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: Chaz was already more excited about Jimmy that all of 502 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: the leaders of all of the bands He had been 503 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: in over the years. He obviously knew the business, and 504 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: he was experienced, and he was willing to put it 505 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 1: on a line. Jimmy stubbed out the end of his smoke. 506 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 1: Decision time now or never? Take your time, hurry up. 507 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 1: The choice is yours. Don't be late, and Jimmy stuck 508 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: out his hand to shake Chaz is. Chas had a 509 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: promise him one thing though he wanted to meet Eric, 510 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: was that all making an intro to Eric was easy 511 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: to consider it done. Actually, how's this? Chas hooked Jimmy 512 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: up so he could sit in with Eric on stage. 513 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: As soon as he got over there, Jimmy Hendricks could 514 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: then let his guitar do the talking to Eric clapped, 515 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 1: I'm Jake Brennan and this is the twenty seven Clubs. 516 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 1: The twenty seven Club is scored and co written by 517 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: me Jake Brennan. Zeth Lundy is the lead writer, editor, 518 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: and co producer. The twenty seven Club is mixed and 519 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: engineered by Sean kaal And and Matt Bowden, both of 520 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: whom lent their considerable music talent to the scoring of 521 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: this series, as well additional music and score elements by 522 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: Ryan spreaker. They seven Club is produced by myself for 523 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: Double Elvis in partnership with I Heart Radio. Sources for 524 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: this episode are available at Double Elvis dot com on 525 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: the twenty seven Club series page. The twenty seven Club 526 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 1: is released weekly every Thursday. Season one features twelve episodes 527 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: on Jimmy hendricks In Season two will feature twelve episodes 528 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,720 Speaker 1: on Jim Morrison. If you like what you hear, please 529 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: be sure to subscribe to the twenty seven Club on 530 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: Apple podcast, the I Heart Radio app, or wherever you 531 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:02,960 Speaker 1: get your podcasts, and if you'd like to win a 532 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: free seven Club poster designed by the man himself, Nate Gonzalez, 533 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: then leave a review for twenty seven Club on Apple 534 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: Podcasts or hashtag subscribe to seven Club on social media 535 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: and we'll pick two winners each week and announce them 536 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: on the Double Elvis Instagram page that's at Double Elvis 537 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: if you're gonna want to give you that a follow, 538 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 1: So get out there and please spread the word about 539 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: the seven Club. As always, you can find me blabbing 540 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: about other crazy rock stars on my other podcast, Disgrace Land, 541 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: and you can talk to me per usual on Instagram 542 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: and Twitter at Graceland pod one way or another, I 543 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 1: hope to be talking to you soon. Until then, what 544 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: fear is