A court has been told that two of Jimi Hendrix‘s bandmates “died in relative poverty”, while record labels continue to profit from their work.
The estates involved in the legal action are from bassist Noel Redding, who died in 2003 aged 57, and drummer Mitch Mitchell, who died aged 62 in 2008.
In the lawsuit, the estate of each of the two musicians are suing Sony Music Entertainment UK, alleging that they have been consistently excluded from a share of the revenue relating to their contributions to albums by The Jimi Hendrix Experience – the band which they formed with the guitar icon back in 1966.
The albums in question are 1967’s debut album ‘Are You Experienced’, second album ‘Axis: Bold As Love’, which arrived later that year, and their third and final record, ‘Electric Ladyland’, which was released in 1968.
In court yesterday (Tuesday December 9), Simon Malynicz KC represented both estates and alleged that the two late musicians were “excluded early on in their lifetimes” and “died in relative poverty” (as per Far Out), they also claimed that this occurred despite them being in “one of the most commercially successful acts of its era”.
Malynicz went on to claim that the artists’ successors should be entitled to a share of the revenue made from those three albums, but had allegedly been excluded by the administrators of Hendrix’s estate.
He told the court that the late drummer and late bassist had been let down “by a major multinational which refuses to recognise or remunerate their copyright and performers’ right”, and asked that the court ensures “justice is done is done to the memory of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.”
“It can also give effect to James Marshall Hendrix’s wishes,” he added. “For surely, he would have wanted his fellow musicians to receive everything to which they are entitled.”
The claims have been refuted by Sony Music Entertainment UK, with lawyer Robert Howe outlining that the original recording copyright belonged to the albums’ producers, not the musicians. According to Far Out, he also cited claims made by both Mitchell and Redding in the 1970s, which led to them being paid $247,500 (£185,900) and $100,000 (£75,100) respectively.
This is a developing story.
In other Jimi Hendrix news, last year it was revealed that an unheard recording made by the musician was going up for auction, and would only be made available to listen to for the person who bought it. Before then, it was announced that the first-ever authorised feature-length documentary about the life of the guitar legend was in the works, from the director of The Greatest Night In Pop. The rock icon died in 1970 at the age of 27.
