Eric Barrett, the Glaswegian tour manager who spent three years on the road with Jimi Hendrix, has finally broken his 55-year silence in a new memoir. In it, he reveals what he believes happened on the night of Hendrix's death and shares intimate stories from his time with the legendary guitarist.
Barrett's unique perspective
Barrett, who turns 80 this year, worked with some of the biggest names in music, from The Beatles to Madonna. Yet he says, "No matter what I did afterward, or who I worked for, I'd forever be known as Jimi Hendrix's roadie." His memoir, Experienced: On the road with Jim Hendrix and Beyond, offers a fascinating account of life in a rock star's orbit.
Hendrix was just 27 when he died in 1970 after choking on his own vomit following an accidental barbiturate overdose. Barrett, then 24, was devastated. "He wasn't just my boss and possibly the greatest musician I ever worked with, he was my friend," he says.
The night of Hendrix's death
On September 18, 1970, Hendrix died in his apartment at the Samarkand Hotel in Notting Hill. Barrett, acting as a fixer, helped Hendrix's girlfriend Monika Dannemann escape the press. "I booked lots of different hotel rooms to throw the press off the scent," he recalls. "[Monika] was just a kid herself."
Monika told Barrett that after Hendrix ingested the drugs, the couple fell asleep, and she couldn't wake him the next morning. Grief-stricken, Barrett later overdosed on the sedative Mandrax and was unconscious for three days. "I had my own near miss," he admits. "It could have happened to any of us in Jimi's group of friends."
Silence and secrets
For 55 years, Barrett remained largely silent about Hendrix's drug use. In the few interviews he gave after Hendrix's death, he lied. "I didn't want his memory tarnished in any way, so I denied that he ever used drugs at all," he explains.
Barrett also reveals that he slept with Monika after Hendrix's death, a fact he admits with shame. He describes Hendrix as a "shy, insecure man, self conscious about his bad skin and deeply uncomfortable with being the centre of attention."
Life on the road
Barrett's memoir details his early days with Hendrix, including repairing guitars that Jimi smashed on stage. He also recounts a chaotic Beatles gig in Glasgow where he was mistaken for Paul McCartney and chased by fans.
After Hendrix's death, Barrett went on to work with David Bowie, Madonna, and many others. He describes Bowie as "the greatest showman of anyone I ever worked with."
Barrett eventually retired after five decades on the road, but he still yearns for one more call. "I would've given anything for the phone to magically ring with Jimi Hendrix on the line, asking me to do it all one last time."
