Before Jimi Hendrix became a global icon, he spent years as a backing musician, supporting legendary acts such as Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, Slim Harpo, and Wilson Pickett. Rare footage from this formative period is hard to come by, which makes a 1965 video of Hendrix performing with Buddy & Stacey a truly special find.
The clip, from an episode of Night Train, captures Hendrix accompanying the soul duo on a spirited rendition of Junior Walker’s Shotgun. Though Hendrix is relegated to the back line, positioned between the drummer and another guitarist in front of his Fender amplifier, his unmistakable talent shines through. Around the 1:29 mark, Hendrix riffs with the sax player, hinting at the raw, unrestrained brilliance that would later redefine guitar playing.
While Hendrix was still in the early stages of his career, his electrifying abilities did not go unnoticed. Ernie Isley, whose brothers hired Hendrix in the early ’60s, recounted the guitarist’s unique talent and humble beginnings:
“My brothers had another guitar player who decided to quit in a huff, so they were looking for a replacement,” Isley recalled. “Long story short, they heard there was this guy in Greenwich Village who played better than anybody. This was like 1963, and you heard a lot of musicians, but nobody played guitar like him, so they hired him.”
Isley continued, “After they hired him, he didn’t have a place to stay. We had a spare room at our mother’s house, and they said, ‘You can stay here.’ He came into the house, had this brand-new guitar in a case, and they said, ‘Ma, this is the new guitar player we just hired, Jimi Hendrix.’ They said, ‘This is our mother and little brother.’ It wasn’t boring. It wasn’t boring at all.”
Although Hendrix was still a sideman during this 1965 performance, his unmistakable style and groundbreaking approach to the guitar were already evident. Watching the footage, one can sense the anticipation of the moment when Hendrix would finally break free from the constraints of the backing role and unleash his full potential on the world.
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