Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 An Indispensable book for Hendrix historians April 17, 2006
Gregg LaMarsh (Toronto Canada, eh?)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've spent decades studying the lives of famed rockers, reading and viewing virtually every single item available: books,articles, interviews, videos, bootlegs, private collections, museums etc. Jimi has been the focus of most of my study--I'm a fan. No, fanatic. Take it on faith, there is a mountain of evidence to suggest that he probably killed himself. Some facts have surfaced after the release of Brown's fine book.If I were a lawyer, I'd feel very confident proving the unfortunate truth. Sadly, Jimi did nothing to support the 2 children that he *knew he'd fathered*. The legal ramifications of this were just coming to a head at the time of his death. Also, he'd promised to marry at least 3 different women in the months prior. Indeed,things seemed to be chaotic.Anyway, great book. Too bad Brown and I never met. I believe I could've helped him on this, his final book.
 what a crock of s&*%!!!! September 11, 2005
Scott Williams
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
First of all, jimi did not commit suicide...plain and simple. Even Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox have stated that jimi didn't believe in suicide because he believed that if you committed suicide then your soul would never be allowed to rest in peace. This book only focuses on rumors...it doesn't focus on the facts. So, if you wanna book that realisticly talks about the cause of jimi's death then this book is definetly not for you.
Jimi Hendrix's Final Silent Scream February 9, 2005
Joy Santana (Florida)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
A lot has been speculated about the final days of Jimi Hendrix's tumultuous life. Between Tony Brown's excellent book and the details in Sharon Lawrence's recently-published memoir, the following sordid chain of events seem to be implied:
1. The extremely-sensitive Hendrix was unravelling under an unprecedented amount of personal and professional stress and was particularly vulnerable to negative elements during these two weeks in London. Hendrix spoke of suicide and death frequently during this period. He was essentially surrounded by sharks and sycophants and had no real support network to help him through this rough time in his life.
2. On the night of his death, he had a bad argument with his German girlfriend, Monika Dannemann, that was recounted by several witnesses interviewed by Brown.
3. Sometime after retiring, Hendrix apparently took a deliberate overdose of extremely-powerful sleeping tablets.
4. Dannemann, for whatever reason (anger/vengeance is implied) - seems to have poured wine down his throat as he lay choking on his vomit (this is hinted at by Brown, and claimed openly by Lawrence who claims she confronted Dannemann with this evidence and Dannemann did not deny it).
5. The coroner recorded an "open verdict," since a verdict of suicide would have invalidated the million-dollar insurance policies held on Hendrix by his manager and record company (evidently standard practice in the music business). Thus, Hendrix's suicide has gone down in history as an "accidental overdose."
6. (Fast forward to 1996) Dannemann committed suicide when her version of events was blown apart in a court case brought by another of Hendrix's ex-girlfriends, Kathy Etchingham.
Brown (who passed away a few years ago himself) deserves praise for doing all the research and detective work it took to pull this book together. It is horrible to ponder that one of music's greatest visionaries was driven to this end by the vultures surrounding him, as well as his own lack of discipline. Is it possible to end on a high note? At least the incredible music is still here to inspire the generations who have followed him.
a great book January 23, 2000
mistermaxxx@yahoo.com (usa)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
it's sad to think of this genius untimely death.this book is really focused and gives solid inside details.Tony Brown does a wonderful job.looking at what has happened in music since his death you have to wonder what other directions he would have gone in.many questions we will never know but we still have his genius work and that is timeless.
 A sober and sad look behind the scenes. April 30, 1999
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I'm grateful that Mr. Brown wrote this book. Jimi is long overdue for fair treatment. He was one of those people not easily understood because of the depth of his sensitivity and individuality. But the main thing I feel concerning Jimi Hendrix is how much of a complete waste his premature death was. There is no telling what sort of musical pleasures he would have produced had he lived and had a chance to mature. Personally, as a black man that has never let himself be walled in by definitions of what "blackness" amounts to, it would have been so good to see Jimi continuing to knock down those stupid self-made racial barriers in ever more creative ways. But, alas, it wasn't to be. Tony Brown shows Jimi to be what we all are; fallible human beings who are driven by many frailties.
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