World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
The day in 1968 when Andy Summers got to jam with Jimi Hendrix: “Outrageous that I actually dared to”
Andy Summers, later famous as guitarist with The Police, has recalled a night in 1968 when he found himself jamming alongside Jimi Hendrix. At the time Summers was a jobbing musician on London's vibrant club and session scene, years before punk and new wave would bring him mainstream fame, and the chance encounter with one of the era's most revered guitarists left a lasting impression on him.
Summers has described the experience as "outrageous" that he even dared to join in, reflecting the mix of nerves and excitement at sharing a stage, however informally, with Hendrix during the guitarist's peak years of influence in London. The anecdote offers a small but telling glimpse into the capital's tight-knit and improvisational music circles of the late 1960s, where established stars and up-and-coming players could unexpectedly cross paths.
In short
- Andy Summers recalled jamming with Jimi Hendrix in London in 1968.
- Summers, later of The Police, called it "outrageous" he dared join in.
- Encounter reflects London's close-knit 1960s music scene.
Explained simply
In the late 1960s, London had a busy club and session scene where musicians often met and played together informally. Andy Summers was then a working guitarist, long before he became widely known with The Police.
Jimi Hendrix was an influential guitarist who was living and performing in London during this period. The two musicians’ paths crossed in 1968, when Summers joined Hendrix for an informal jam.
The encounter came years before Summers’s later fame and has remained a striking memory for him. It offers a glimpse of how musicians at different stages of their careers could meet in London’s music scene.