Ernie Isley, the renowned guitarist of the Isley Brothers, has made significant contributions to funk, soul, and rock music, famously introducing fuzz guitar to a new generation of R&B fans. Growing up alongside Jimi Hendrix had a profound influence on his musical journey, especially since Isley was captivated by Hendrix’s playing as a preteen.
In a recent interview with Guitar World, Isley shared how their connection began. His brothers—Ronald, Rudolph, and O’Kelly—recruited Hendrix after the guitarist in their backing band, the I.B. Specials, “quit in a huff.”
“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 around 1963, a time when many musicians were emerging, but Hendrix stood out. “Nobody played guitar like him, so they hired him.”
After joining the band, Hendrix needed a place to stay, and the Isley family welcomed him into their home. “We had a spare room at our mother’s house, and they said, ‘You can stay here,’” Isley explained. “He came into the house with a brand-new guitar in a case, and they introduced him to our mother and me, saying, ‘This is the new guitar player we just hired, Jimi Hendrix.’”
Isley fondly remembers those early days and was deeply impressed by Hendrix’s talent. “If you’d come by my house, you would have seen Jimi coming and going through the front door,” he said. “If you asked me, ‘Who’s the best player out there?’ I’d say, ‘Jimi Hendrix.’ Not just because of what you hear in your headphones, but because of what I heard him play in my living room without an amplifier.”
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