The one moment when Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix crossed paths remains a cherished memory for fans of these two extraordinary musicians. It’s a meeting that left many wishing for more encounters between these mercurial musical minds.
In 1966, when Jimi Hendrix arrived in London, he received an invitation to a jam session at Regent Street Polytechnic. Despite some initial reservations, the guitarist found himself at the heart of the vibrant London music scene, often called upon for impromptu performances. One such performance earned him the respect of guitar legend Eric Clapton. Soon, more of Britain’s musical elite would pay homage to Hendrix.
Among the admirers was Paul McCartney, who became a devoted fan of the guitarist. McCartney played a pivotal role in securing Hendrix’s iconic performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. While Hendrix faced challenges in cracking the American music market, he amassed a considerable following. One of his quieter admirers was the freewheeling troubadour Bob Dylan.
There was a deep mutual respect between Dylan and Hendrix. Dylan, the singer-songwriter, openly praised Hendrix’s genre-defying guitar prowess. He went on to praise his rendition of ‘All Along The Watchtower’ as the song’s definitive version. In 2015, after receiving the Person of the Year award from MusiCares, Dylan beamed and declared, “We can’t forget Jimi Hendrix.”
Interestingly, Dylan struggled to achieve commercial success with his songs initially. He relied on the talents of artists like Hendrix and Peter, Paul, and Mary to get his tracks on the radio. Dylan acknowledged this by stating, “He took some small songs of mine that nobody paid any attention to and brought them up into the outer limits of the stratosphere, turned them all into classics… I have to thank Jimi. I wish he was here.”
Similarly, Jimi Hendrix had reasons to be grateful to Dylan. Hendrix’s version of ‘All Along The Watchtower’ on his double album ‘Electric Ladyland’ catapulted him to fame beyond the New York and London swinging music scenes. However, Hendrix initially found Dylan’s music a bit challenging to embrace. He recalled, “Before I came to England, I was digging many of the things Bob Dylan was doing.” He added with a wry smile, “When I first heard him, I thought, ‘You must admire that guy for having that much nerve to sing so out of key. But then I listened to the words.”
While both artists held deep admiration for each other, they only happened to meet once. Dylan fondly recalls that solitary meeting when he was “just the guitar player” in a band. Despite both of them being more than a little inebriated, the memory lingered. In 1969, Hendrix reciprocated this sentiment, saying, “I only met him once, about three years ago… before I went to England. I think both of us were pretty drunk at the time, so he probably doesn’t remember it.”
Hendrix’s live sets included ‘All Along The Watchtower’ and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’. These two musical maestros only met once. However, their distant yet profound friendship is proof of their great respect for each other.
