Sharon Lawrence Interview: Jimi Hendrix: The Man,The Magic,The Truth

by Rick Landers

Los Angeles-based author Sharon Lawrence shares her friendship with Jimi Hendrix with the entire world in her new book, “Jim Hendrix: The Man, The Magic, The Truth”.

The great guitarist had numerous lengthy conversations with Lawrence during the last three years of his life where he held back nothing. Her book should be considered a serious and definitive historical document in the annals of American music history.

When she met Jimi, she was a young reporter for the United Press International Los Angeles Bureau. Later she moved into marketing and public relations, working with some of the largest recording and film companies in the world.

Her work brought a circle of friends and associates that include Elton John, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and countless other celebrities and rock emissaries.

Author of “So You Want to Be A Rock and Roll Star” and “Old Camel in Rare Photographs”, Sharon is no stranger to the long hours, late nights and other demands writers marshal through to write and publish their books.

Her respect for Jimi as a human being and musician helped pull her through the gauntlet of speaking with dozens of new sources through the years and writing the book that will almost certainly stand as the single most important reference source about one of the most talented, inventive, creative, and graceful musicians of our time.

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Rick Landers: How did “Jimi Hendrix: The Man, The Magic, The Truth” come about?

Sharon Lawrence: It really starts with my background and love of writing. I’ve always loved to read and write. And I’ve managed to accumulate several thousand books on all kinds of subjects, including rock ‘n’ roll books. When I was a young woman I quit my undergraduate work at UCLA to become a reporter with the United Press – a job I took very seriously.

While my ambition was to be a professional, on the weekends my friends and I always hit the clubs on the Sunset Strip and concerts at the Santa Monica Civic Center and the Forum. In a way, I was living two lives – interviewing top film stars, directors and producers by day and seeing every movie made at night.

On weekends, I kicked back and enjoyed great musical performances by everyone from Joe Cocker to Taj Mahal and everyone who played at the Whisky A Go Go and the Troubadour.

Eventually, I moved beyond reporting and enrolled in the world of rock music where I found myself working with Elton John and meeting most of the groups around at that time, like the Beatles and the Stones.

Through the years I’ve written dozens of articles,two books and several screenplays. On numerous occasions I was approached to write about Hendrix but I wasn’t ready emotionally to do that.

I also felt that the true story of Jimi Hendrix was still developing with the way he was an “object” and moneymaker. I wanted to cover that part of the story too if I was going to write a book.

Rick: When did you begin your book about Jimi?

Sharon Lawrence: I would have put off writing the book forever and probably wouldn’t have written it, except for a famous dear friend who said something in 1999 like “Sharon, it’s been almost thirty years and people still don’t know the him and we need a book about the real Jimi.

A historical document, not just about some rich and famous rock star! The historical thing really resonated with me and told me that maybe I had a responsibility to Jimi to tell his story and get it right.

I felt it was crucial that the book must be objective and balanced, while at the same time keeping his own point of view. I tried to be very conscientious about doing this book as a history piece.

Rick: Is there still a lot of interest or a growing interest in Jimi?

Sharon Lawrence: Look at the demographics – Today, thirty five years later loved by people of all ages- from 7 to 70 around the world. This fact would be so meaningful to him. His music continues to be a top seller. This Hendrix book took me three years to write — sixteen hour days, seven days a week – yes, there’s a lot of interest.

Rick: Are you musically inclined?

Sharon Lawrence: I’ve always loved music and was exposed to a lot of it when I was young. I don’t have any musical talent myself. I did attempt the piano and can play a pretty rotten version of “Silent Night”.

But, I am a very intent listener and I always felt honored when he took out his guitar and play new songs. He would urge me to tell him truthfully what I thought.

He struggled so hard to keep his life and friendships normal. It seemed like out of nowhere he became bigger than life and it really bothered him to be placed on a throne. One thing I think everyone should know about him is that Jimi wasn’t some kind of space cadet, but an unusually sincere and intelligent guy.

He had very definite well thought out opinions and he was very vivid in the way he said things. Jimi had endured a very hard life. His background was one of intense poverty and lack of nurturing.

The pain from those years lingered inside him. I have some wonderful and also poignant memories of his speaking of this; we also captured many conversations on tape. Also, I have my journals from that time where, since he was a part of my circle of friends, there are a lot passages about him.

Rick: You met Jimi in Los Angeles?

Sharon Lawrence: Yes, I met Jimi through mutual friends in February 1968 when he was appearing at Anaheim. When we met, most of the crowd we hung out with were musicians or artists of some sort. LA was a small town then and I got along with all the musicians who came to town.

I was the “friend with the grown up job”. I got along great with all the guys, probably because I’d been raised with two brothers and wasn’t boy crazy, so I really was just a friend to the guys. I didn’t put them on pedestals.

Rick: What do you think was the happiest period in his life?

Sharon Lawrence: He was quickly accepted in England in September 1966. His musician peers loved him and his English fans were extremely loyal – still are. Hundreds of thousands of people throughout the United Kingdom came to care about Hendrix. So, Jimi’s time in England was very special to him where he was treated better there than he’d ever been.

Rick: Tell us about your experience writing this book.

Sharon Lawrence:I had a lot of information already in my personal files, as well as business documents that Jimi had given me. Being a reporter by nature I kept a lot of clippings, tape recordings, notes, and my personal journals. I have notes from dozens of conversations from people who had known him during various phases of his life.

I also have a long archive of people who loved Jimi and keep him alive in their conversations, including Chas Chandler and Noel [Redding]. John Lennon had some fond memories. He used to call me up and say, “Let’s talk about James”.

Jimi met a countless number of people once he shot into stardom. And a lot of people had stories about their “Jimi moments”, especially his English friends and fans. These gave me the most pleasure while writing the book, about the many people he touched in a personal way and some of them would be transported back to when they met him while they spoke. These were very moving moments.

I was approached numerous times about writing or co-producing a film on Jimi’s life. But I’m the kind of person who wouldn’t want to wallow in a friend’s tragic death. Quite frankly, I don’t believe there’s a human being alive who could play Jimi Hendrix in a film. I felt and feel very strongly about not milking my friendship and plan to do only a few select interviews in connection with this book.

Rick: Jimi skyrocketed beyond the fame of many other musicians who had struggled for years who were still fighting for fame when he made it .

Sharon Lawrence: That’s true, but isn’t that always the case? Jimi worked “like a dog” in his own words before he became famous and even harder when he became known. He paid his dues, although a lot of people then and now never realized it. There was quite a bit of jealousy from some other black musicians.

A lot of them were pretty competitive and wondered who this kid was, from Seattle of all places, singing the blues and doing these incredible things with his guitar. They thought he was, what Jimi would refer to as a “goofball”.

For Jimi it was all about the music. I remember him being annoyed about the big business that was growing up around the music — “It’s all about money and you know where that’s at!” he would say.

One time he told me that he sometimes thought that he’d like to play in the background, play rhythm guitar, and not be the front man. He just wanted to lay back and enjoy playing. I think he got tired of being stage center all the time.

Rick: You had some of Jimi’s personal items in your garage?

Sharon Lawrence:After he died, I eventually went through a lot of my stuff and found several boxes of guitar strings. I used to send them to fans who had written letters to him that he never had a chance to answer.

Some time after Jimi died, Allen Collins and the other guys from Lynyrd Skynyrd were at my place and Allen broke a string on his guitar and was upset, because the band was too poor to buy strings – this was early in their career. I told him I thought I had some in my garage and gave him one of Jimi’s strings.

Years later, he showed me that string. He had it in a scrap book – said he didn’t feel he had the right to use one of Jimi’s strings, he honored him that much.

Rick: Jimi’s influence on guitarists is recognized around the globe. Who influenced him?

Sharon Lawrence: Jimi learned from everybody. I think he liked anyone who could play with sensitivity, whether they were well known or not and I think had he lived, he would have just kept on learning.

Jimi was a very fresh new talent with an identifiable sound. Music poured out of him. One of his influences was Curtis Mayfield. He told me that one of his favorite experiences was jamming at the Gaslight in Greenwich Village with John Hammond and Eric Clapton. He said he had a lot of respect for both John Hammond and Eric Clapton, as people and as players.

He also admired Jeff Beck saying he was “Just terrific!” Jimi had this generosity of spirit and wasn’t particularly competitive with other guitarists.

Rick: And your expectations for “Jimi Hendrix: The Man, The Magic, The Truth”?

Sharon Lawrence: The book is gradually being published around the world. I think it’s important for it to be fairly priced and published in a quality way. I hope that the Jimi I knew is out in the stratosphere somewhere and still receiving great joy from playing his music.

Rick: One of your goals in connection with this book is to honor Jimi by helping others through establishing “Jimi Hendrix Loved to Read” special funds at selected libraries?

Sharon Lawrence: Often people who’ve read my book say, “I was surprised to see that you mention Jimi enjoyed reading.” It’s as if they can’t imagine Jimi with his nose in a book.

But, he was a bright guy who enjoyed books; they took him away from himself. He always had several books packed away in his suitcases-everything from Charles Dickens to science fiction to a little book he cherished on the life of Beethoven. For Jimi, life was centered around music but he always wanted to learn all he could. Maybe books made up for his being a high school drop-out.

Article first published at GI in 2009.