Jimi Hendrix At The Brink Of A New World

By Joy Overbeck

Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/17/21 –  The late Sixties was an era of wildly charged possibility, when an entire generation felt it stood open mouthed at the brink of a new world.

It was if they had invented a fresh creation, or re-invented it, as only those who know the passionate, beating heart of life could understand it.

www.thevisualthing.com

And the keepers of that heart’s pulsing rhythm were the music grates, the icons: Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton.

Ron Raffaelli spent magical days and nights in the company of these legends, photographing them for the album covers and posters that proclaimed their faces and their music to the young people of the world. As a friend, he caught the performers in their private moments of play and doubt. He also immortalized their very public triumphs, those electrifying nights when they were carried away on the roar of thousands of fans. As Raffaelli became more and more a part of this white-hot inner circle, he found that he was profoundly changed. It all started with a bizarre interview. A 22-year-old recent graduate of the Art Center College of Design, Raffaelli was summoned to a Beverly Hills estate to interview for a photography job with a musician he had never heard of. The photographer was ushered into a darkened bedroom, where through the smoky light he saw a figure seated on the floor. The form, washed in crimson light by a dim red light bulb draped with iridescent scarves, was Jimi Hendrix. He motioned for Raffaelli’s portfolio. Without a word, he paged for a scant few seconds through Raffaelli’s work, then handed back the book. Driving back to the studio, Raffaelli dismissed the experience as a waste of time. But a couple of weeks later, Hendrix’s tour manager called and told him to catch the next flight to Hawaii. Jimi had chosen Raffaelli as his personal photographer, and the star would begin his first American tour in Honolulu. In 1968, Hendrix was a virtual unknown in this country after completing his unprecedented musical conquest of Great Britain. As the musician and the photographer became close, one night Hendrix told Raffaelli that they had also been friends in past lives. Jimi advised his friends to use his camera lens as a brush, painting the world around him the way he saw it. Mr. Raffaelli is now an Internationally known and respected graphic artist. Raffaelli has had six books published in addition to hundreds of magazine layouts and covers. He is still an active professional artist and photographer. In October of 1968 I took a long
limousine ride from Hollywood to Bakersfield with Jimi, Noel and
Mitch. That nights concert was to be held at the Bakersfield Civic
Auditorium. The sound crew arrived early that afternoon and set up the stage for that evenings performance. We arrived about thirty minutes before show time and the concert began right on time at 8 PM. sharp.

This photo was taken just after Jimi had finished playing his opening song “The Star Spangled Banner.” The stage was surrounded by local police and auditorium security. Hendrix had a reputation for giving an explosive performance and the authorities were afraid of audience out of control. That evenings performance was spectacular and as the concert neared its end the audience were out of their seats and cheering. As I had seen Jimi do so many times before at the end of his last song he turned around and was about to punch the neck of his guitar through a live amplified speaker to create his famous electronic distortion that always ended his performance. Just as Jimi was about to do this the power was cut and the stage went totally dark. For Jimi, this was like having sex without a climax. I followed Jimi backstage to the office of the auditorium’s manager. His name was Richard and he admitted that he had cut the power because he was afraid that Jimi and the audience might damage the stage. Jimi went ballistic and reached across the desk and pulled this 4′ 6″ manager off his feet, over the top of his desk and began to hake him violently. I stepped in and pulled them apart, telling Jimi that it was not worth getting arrested because of this idiot. Richard then took a swing at me and I pushed him onto the ground just as the police entered the room. We were both arrested and taken to the police station. Jimi demanded his legal right to a phone call, the police officer said “Oh you want to call your attorney” Jimi said “No¦ I want to call the press and I have only one thing to say¦ RIOT!”

Immediately we were put into our limousine and driven out of  town with a police escort. MOBIUS GALLERY PRESENTS RON RAFFAELLI ‘S CLASSIC PHOTOGRAPHY Mobius Gallery Rock and Roll Photography Mobius Gallery Rock & Roll Photography, Fine Art Rock and Roll Photography by Ron Raffaelli, Rock and Roll archive, Ron Raffaelli Rock and Roll Celebrity, Rock and Roll Images, The Rock and Roll Photography of Ron Raffaelli, Rock and Roll Legend, Ron Raffaelli Photographer, Museum Quality Prints, B&W Prints, Color Digital Prints, Classic Rock & Roll Photography, Rock and Roll Original Vintage Posters, Professional Rock and Roll  Photography, Rock and Roll Photography Exhibitions, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton,
Blind Faith, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, Jim Morrison, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Beach Boys, Allman Brothers, Free, Paul Rodgers, Donovan, The Greatest Rock and Roll Photographer, Ron Raffaelli, 1969 Led Zeppelin Tour Book Photography, 1969 Jimi Hendrix Tour Book Photography, 1969 Blind Faith Tour  photography, Stock Rock & Roll Photography, Archive Photography, Rock & Roll Memorabilia, Ron Rafaela Rock and Roll Photographs, Classic Rock and Roll Photographs 1968, Purchase Your Rock & Roll prints, Mobius Gallery Rock & Roll Order Form,
Commercial Photography, Photographer For Assignments, Specializing in the Photography of Music and Entertainment Celebrities, Offering Images of Artists available for licensing, Collectible Rock and Roll Concert Posters and Memorabilia, Original first printings of Rock and Roll Posters and Memorabilia, ranging from the early sixties to the present, Ron Rafaela Portrait of an Era, Ron Raffaelli’s Rock and Roll Heroes, Ron Raffaelli Hollywood Photography Exhibition, One of The Worlds Top Rock and Roll Photographers, Mobius Gallery Presents Ron Raffaelli’s The Best Rock and Roll Photography, Pictures of Rock and
Roll Stars, Great Rock and Roll Images, Years of Rock and Roll
Photography, Mobius Gallery On-line Rock and Roll Photography for Purchase, Rock Star Pixs, Rock and Roll Photography History, History in Pictures 1960-2004, Acclaim Stock Rock and Roll Photography, This is Rock and Roll Photography, Photography Mobius Gallery of the Legends of Rock and Roll, It’s Only Rock and Roll Photography, Rolling Stones, Ron Raffaelli Official Photographer Jim Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Jim Morrison, Sir Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Mobius Galler.

COPYRIGHT 1967-2008/ RON RAFFAELLI/MOBIUS GALLERY
PRESENTS RON RAFFAELLI ‘S CLASSIC PHOTOGRAPHY COPYRIGHT 1967-2008/ RON
RAFFAELLII

Hendrix your book http://www.desiregallery.com