About this ebook
Former UPI journalist Sharon Lawrence chronicles the vulnerable human being behind the electric showmanship, drawing on private hotel conversations and quiet hours spent in recording studios.
The man we never knew. . . . The truth we never heard. . . . The music we never forgot. . . .
Her firsthand account follows Hendrix from his early California concerts to the exhausting pressures of London and New York, uncovering the gentle, conflicted musician who sought refuge in his guitar while lawsuits and handlers closed in. A revealing portrait of a legend by a close and trusted friend.
- Music Biography: Sharon Lawrence recounts her 1968 introduction to Hendrix through London publicist Leslie Perrin, driving through a California rainstorm to an Anaheim concert that began their private friendship.
- Behind the Scenes: Intimate vignettes reveal Hendrix away from the spotlight, from late-night jams at TTG Studios in Hollywood to his utopian dream of building a countryside retreat called Skychurch.
- Raw Honesty: Lawrence provides an eyewitness account of Hendrix’s 1969 Toronto drug arrest and three-day trial, detailing the courtroom testimony that secured his full acquittal.
- Rock and Roll History: Unsparing chapters chronicle the chaotic aftermath of Hendrix’s death at age twenty-seven, tracking the decades-long probate battles over his multimillion-dollar estate and unreleased master tapes.
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About the author
Sharon Lawrence started her career as a reporter for the United Press International's Los Angeles bureau. Her specialty was the entertainment beat, including film and pop music. After more than five years with UPI, she became a management, marketing, and PR consultant for such clients as MCA, Columbia, Apple, and Rocket Record Company, as well as for major movie studios. She has worked with numerous artists including Elton John, David Bowie, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lawrence is the author of So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star and Old Carmel in Rare Photographs. She lives in Los Angeles.
