Editing Jimi Hendrix (section)

=== First instruments ===
At Horace Mann Elementary School in Seattle during the mid-1950s, Hendrix's habit of carrying a broom with him to emulate a guitar gained the attention of the school's social worker. After more than a year of his clinging to a broom like a [[Comfort object|security blanket]], she wrote a letter requesting school funding intended for underprivileged children, insisting that leaving him without a guitar might result in psychological damage.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=5}} Her efforts failed, and Al refused to buy him a guitar.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=5}}{{refn|group=nb|According to Hendrix's cousin, Diane Hendrix, in August 1956, when Jimi stayed with her family, he put on shows for her, using a broom to mimic a guitar while listening to [[Elvis Presley]] records.{{sfn|Black|1999|pp=16–18}}}}

In 1957, while helping his father with a side-job, Hendrix found a [[ukulele]] among the garbage they were removing from an older woman's home. She told him that he could keep the instrument, which had only one string.{{sfn|Hendrix|Mitchell|2012|pp=56–58}} Learning by ear, he played single notes, following along to [[Elvis Presley]] songs, particularly "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Black|1999|pp=16–18}}: Hendrix playing along with "Hound Dog" (secondary source); {{harvnb|Hendrix|1999|p=100}}: Hendrix playing along with Presley's version of "Hound Dog" (primary source); {{harvnb|Hendrix|Mitchell|2012|p=59}}: Hendrix playing along with Presley songs (primary source).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Hendrix saw Presley perform in Seattle on September 1, 1957.<ref>{{harvnb|Hendrix|McDermott|2007|p=9}}: Hendrix seeing Presley perform; {{harvnb|Black|1999|p=18}}: the date Hendrix saw Presley perform.</ref>}} By the age of 33, Hendrix's mother Lucille had developed [[cirrhosis]] of the liver, and on February 2, 1958, she died when her [[spleen]] ruptured.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=4}} Al refused to take James and Leon to attend their mother's funeral; he instead gave them shots of [[Whisky|whiskey]] and told them that was how men should deal with loss.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=4}}{{refn|group=nb|In 1967, Hendrix revealed his feelings in regard to his mother's death during a survey he took for the UK publication, ''[[NME|New Musical Express]]''. Hendrix stated: "Personal ambition: Have my own style of music. See my mother again."{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=5}}}} In 1958, Hendrix completed his studies at [[Washington Middle School (Seattle, Washington)|Washington Junior High School]] and began attending, but did not graduate from, [[Garfield High School (Seattle)|Garfield High School]].<ref>{{harvnb|Lawrence|2005|pp=17–19}}: Hendrix did not graduate from James A. Garfield High School; {{harvnb|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1995|p=694}}: Hendrix completed his studies at Washington Middle School.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In the late 1960s, after he had become famous, Hendrix told reporters that racist faculty expelled him from Garfield for holding hands with a white girlfriend during study hall. Principal Frank Hanawalt says that it was due to poor grades and attendance problems.{{sfn|Cross|2005|pp=73–74}} The school had a relatively even ethnic mix of African, European, and Asian-Americans.{{sfn|Lawrence|2005|pp=17–19}}}}

In mid-1958, at age 15, Hendrix acquired his first acoustic guitar, for $5{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=18}} ({{Inflation|US|5|1958|fmt=eq}}). He played for hours daily, watching others and learning from more experienced guitarists, and listening to [[blues]] artists such as [[Muddy Waters]], [[B.B. King]], [[Howlin' Wolf]], and [[Robert Johnson]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hendrix|1999|p=126}}: (primary source); {{harvnb|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=6}}: (secondary source).</ref> The first tune Hendrix learned to play was the television theme "[[Peter Gunn (song)|Peter Gunn]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Hendrix|1999|p=113}}: (primary source); {{harvnb|Heatley|2009|p=20}}: (secondary source).</ref> Around that time, Hendrix jammed with boyhood friend [[Sammy Drain]] and his keyboard-playing brother.{{sfn|Macdonald|2015|loc=eBook}} In 1959, attending a concert by [[Hank Ballard]] & [[The Midnighters]] in Seattle, Hendrix met the group's guitarist [[Billy Davis (guitarist)|Billy Davis]].<ref name="Grimshaw">{{cite web|url=http://billydavisdetroit.com/#biography|title=Biography of JC Billy Davis|last=Grimshaw|first=LE|website=BillyDavisDetroit.com|date=June 2017|access-date=January 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104132619/http://billydavisdetroit.com/#biography|archive-date=January 4, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Davis showed him some guitar licks and got him a short gig with the Midnighters.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|pp=48–49}} The two remained friends until Hendrix's death in 1970.<ref name="Parker">{{cite web|url=https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/its-getting-late-but-still-not-midnight-for-billy-davis/Content?oid=4619010|title=It's Getting Late, but Still Not Midnight for Billy Davis: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Keeps on Creating|last=Parker|first=Chris|website=[[Detroit Metro Times]]|date=July 19, 2017|access-date=January 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104132638/https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/its-getting-late-but-still-not-midnight-for-billy-davis/Content?oid=4619010|archive-date=January 4, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Soon after he acquired the acoustic guitar, Hendrix formed his first band, the Velvetones. Without an electric guitar, he could barely be heard over the sound of the group. After about three months, he realized that he needed an electric guitar.{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=19}} In mid-1959, his father relented and bought him a white [[Supro Ozark 1560 S|Supro Ozark]].{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=19}} Hendrix's first gig was with an unnamed band in the Jaffe Room of Seattle's [[Temple De Hirsch]], but they fired him between sets for showing off.{{sfn|Cross|2005|p=67}} He joined the Rocking Kings, which played professionally at venues such as the Birdland club. When his guitar was stolen after he left it backstage overnight, Al bought him a red [[Silvertone (instruments)|Silvertone]] [[Danelectro]].{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=28}}