Did you hear Jimi Hendrix busk in Newcastle?

Aug 22 2009 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

ROCK legend Jimi Hendrix took to the streets to busk on the pavements of Tyneside more than four decades ago - and now North East music lovers are being urged to share their encounters.

More than 40 years ago Jimi Hendrix gave unsuspecting Tynesiders a taste of his now famous brand of guitar music.

But he wasn’t performing inside a huge music venue – it was a performance on the pavement of Chillingham Road, in Heaton, Newcastle.

And now a music enthusiast is calling on people from the North East to come forward and share any encounters with the rock star.

David Roberts, an Essex-based publisher, is putting together a book of British rock landmarks and locations.

From Ian Dury’s musical park in Richmond, to the Arctic Monkeys’ guitar-thrashing first performance in Sheffield, he’s looking to document historic musical events.

And now David is urging music lovers to come forward with their tales of Hendrix’s time in the North East.

He said: “We want readers to come forward and share their stories – maybe one of them threw 10p for him or something.

“He was busking because he just wanted to play wherever he could, it wasn’t even to earn money.

“The book is about significant locations and landscapes across Britain.”