Yesterday I posted a piece regarding Jimi Hendrix & the fact his death was literally an open & shut case of murder. FB friend Vipula Amarasekara made the comment – 

“I was told Michael, that guys like Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Eric Burdon (Animals) and quite a few underground guitarists at that time were awed and intimidated by Hendrix and his unique style that they plotted his death by exploiting a weakness Hendrix had for getting high and stoned at the same time and that they deliberately killed him off…….because a black guy could never out do this white thrash from the London underground……Then guys like Robin Trower (formerly of Procol Harum fame) copied the Hendrix style……When time permits listen to the maestro play “Red House” on acoustic guitar……fricking way out blues for that era!…..Love you bro fro bringing out this story of a murdered legend…….”

 

I thought this warranted a little more than a thank you by ‘liking’ the comment but as I said the other day, I don’t intend it but before I know it, I get involved! This was my response –

 

Thanks Vipula though let’s not get too carried away here. Jealousy is a human trait, no question. We also hear all sorts of tales & I’ll openly admit when I was in my teens I used to tear the arse out of a story exaggerating details or ‘topping up’ certain statistics. It’s part of human nature, wanting to be noticed, especially in our younger years. Trouble is, what we hear can be so far removed from the truth, every so often when you’re out with friends, you can put your foot in it by mentioning something you normally wouldn’t. The amount of times I’ve come home after an evening out with friends & thought ‘why the hell did I say that? Talk about a bridge too far!’

 

Whether being taken seriously is a measure of the difference between what one hears & what one repeats I’m not entirely sure. There’s never a hard & fast rule to such aspects of our lives. However, I believe when one decides to say something, one effectively enters an arena rather like a stage actor auditioning for a role. One leaves oneself open to be judged. I will say those who do step into the arena, whether right or wrong, deserve credit. Pluckiness, bravery – call it what you like – you’re leaving yourself out there to be shot at. I have no time for those who sit on the fence, criticising others while offering nothing themselves – I call them Humpty Dumpty merchants.

 

Though one can be excused in pondering how the hell Netanyahu is not roundly condemned for being the liar he undoubtedly is, we are nevertheless obliged to back up what we say with concrete evidence. The media does not play on a level playing field. Here on FB though – WE HAVE TO! We’re judged by what we say. So if someone told me musicians were incredibly jealous of Hendrix I’d say “AND” or as people often do say “tell me something I don’t know!” Taking it the point of even suggesting top musicians conspired to murder Hendrix because of jealousy requires a lot more than hearsay, especially when a suspect with guilt written all over him sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

Moreover, the theory you heard VA simply doesn’t hold water with Jimi. Why? Because what guarantee would Clapton, Bruce, Burden or any other musician have that by killing Hendrix, they would start raking it in? Think about it. If anything Hendrix, was a godsend for the music business because he raised the bar. As a result, the industry itself offered more. This would encourage more fans to be that much more involved in going to concerts & buying records. Therefore any musician hanging on to Jimi’s coattails could only gain. It was a win-win situation having Jimi around. There are simply way too many gaping holes for this theory to apply to Hendrix. Now if the theory applied to Brian Jones?…..

 

 

A theory has to stand up. The term to ‘hold water’ is a good one for the moment a hole appears, it’s whoopsy daisy – time to dump the theory. No use if a theory stands up to 90% of what’s thrown at it. For something to make sense, all dots have to connect. Fact is Brian Jones for a long time contested Mick Jagger & Keith Richard’s claim that they were the band’s sole song-writers. Years ago, I had it on good authority Brian Jones wrote or at least co-wrote ‘Paint it Black’, a Stones classic but only Jagger & Richards ever got the credit & royalties. Why do I feel this point is worth making without having any concrete evidence? Because I know enough about music to say categorically ‘Paint it Black’ could not have been composed by the same people that wrote ‘Honky Tonk Women’ & ‘Jumping Jack Flash.’ THIS, I will stake my reputation on. Yet is this enough? Hardly.

 

A good argument hardly constitutes truth. One can only endeavor to back up what one says with evidence that corroborates a particular avenue of thought. Jones was the founder & original bandleader of the Rolling Stones. He was a multi-instrumentalist & his influence played an integral role in the band’s formative years but as we know only too well in the music industry, many of the more genuinely talented artists have a tendency to fall foul of those who happen to be more business minded. Jagger & Richards compared to Jones is no contest. Once Jones made the mistake of neglecting the finer details, he’d inadvertently opened the way to make everything that occurred inevitable. By the time of his death in 1969, the band had gone stratospheric. Whatever Jones had done to make the band what it was; whatever input he had in the studio; whatever influence he’d had, wasn’t worth a bar of soap! What mattered were two things – the money involved & what was legal ie written on paper!

 

 

So here, top musicians may have conspired to murder a fellow musician. Was there any controversy involving the death of Brian Jones – yes indeed! Naturally the constant in-fighting must have had a draining effect on him but quite how one ends up at the bottom of a swimming pool is another story. At the time, all we were fed was probable suicide or accident. Apparently he was bitter because a month earlier, he’d been sacked due to his incessant use of drugs……….YOU WHAT! Incessant use of what? YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! Why do I say that? Because if this was so, HOW COME KEITH RICHARDS WAS STILL IN THE BAND? This geezer was off his off his trolley then & he’s probably still off his trolley 45 years later! What’s abundantly clear, financially at least, while Jagger & Richards were getting the absolute lot, Jones had been left with his dick in his hand. No one else had motive. This theory holds water.

 

I was going to post some links regarding the death of Brian Jones but there were so many different theories, all of them such half-baked baloney, one would end up with more questions than answers, I thought……… I’ve a theory for this – WE’VE GOT DIS-INFORMATION EXPERTS COMING OUT OF OUR EARS!