Nestled in the heart of Mayfair, 23 Brook Street acted as the lair of musical legend Jimi Hendrix. Moving in in 1968 with his then-girlfriend Kathy Etchingham, the $40 a week apartment was lovingly described by Hendrix as the “the only home I ever had.” The bohemian pair worked hard on the space to add personal accents, foraging rugs and fabrics from Portobello Road market and John Lewis on Oxford Street in between Jimi’s tours. London always held a special place in Jimi’s heart — he played his first gig at the Scotch of Saint James the night he arrived in the capital in 1966 with the house band and went on to tour extensively in the UK. Guests to his 23 Brook Street abode read like a who’s who of the Swinging 60s, from Brian Jones to Keith Moon. Hendrix loved the level of anonymity he was afforded in the city, he was often recognized but often left alone, he frequented the nearby One Stop Record Shop in South Molton Street and ate steak and chips at Mr. Love, the restaurant downstairs.
But after his untimely death at age 27, the apartment was acquired by a building society. It changed hands again and in 2001, Handel & Hendrix was established (the famous composer lived in a different apartment in the same building), broadening the worlds of the musical geniuses to the public. Opening last week after a $2.8 million restoration, the living room and bedroom have been assembled to look how they would have looked when Jimi lived there, as well as housing a permanent exhibition about his life and musical legacy including his Epiphone FT79 acoustic guitar, which Kathy recalls, “Jimi used for everything he composed in this country.” We spoke with Etchingham about the significance of 23 Brook Street, Mayfair at the time and what a visit to the space might teach you about Jimi.
Describe what Mayfair was like as an area at the time you and Jimi moved in.
Mayfair was mainly what Americans call ‘old money’ and we were very unusual tenants for the area. Presidents used to stay at Claridges’ a few doors away, and when we were walking home we were stopped and escorted back to the flat by half a dozen policemen when VIPs were staying.
Who were some of the more notable people who visited the apartment?
Mainly many musicians. Our friend Brian Jones. Keith Moon and others from The Who…
What was the day you both moved in like?
I had to do a lot of the work before he came back from the States to move in. The day he moved in, he seemed pleased with the way it had turned out but he did a lot to flat after he came back. He told someone that it was his first real home. Up until then we had always been staying with Chas [Chandler, Hendrix’s manager] and Lotte [his fiancee], living in hotels or sharing flats with them.
What was it like restoring the apartment to when you lived there in the 60s?
It was quite fun. We really had a free hand to completely furnish it. Back in the day, it wasn’t very grand, though the carpets and curtains were quite expensive.
The apartment became a whistle stop for musicians to jam out in the 60s. What was the energy like?
It was not as busy as you might think. Jimi and I both valued our privacy and it was good that if the bottom door was locked, no-one could bother us.
The apartment has been rearranged to its original state. What was it like to cast your mind back to when you lived there?
It is rather disconcerting because it is so well done that it makes me a bit disorientated!
What will people be able to learn and take away from visiting the apartment?
How normal we were really. It is fairly small and just right for a couple.
What did London mean to Jimi? What was it that he liked?
He loved being able to go out and buy cigarettes or whatever and even if people recognized him they would not bother him the way they did in the US. He could walk to the clubs with me and sometimes we went on the tube. We went ice-skating at Queensway and lived a normal life.
In your words, what legacy did Jimi leave the world?
He made indelible contribution via his music which was completely original and innovative. Even in his clothing style and stage performance, he heavily influenced other musicians but it was a two way street because everyone knew everyone else and socialized together. I remember he and Brian Jones both had identical rainbow colored stripy trousers and jackets and they sometimes wore them at the same occasion. I complained and said I thought it was a bit embarrassing but they just laughed and carried on!
Tickets to Hendrix’s 23 Brook Street are available here.
Credits
Text Lynette Nylander