Jimi and Me by Jonathan Stathakis

A young screenwriter is invited to collaborate with Jimi Hendrix on a film, resulting in the wildest eighteen months of his life and coinciding with the tumultuous final months of Hendrix’s life.

In 1969, a twenty-something screenwriter with one movie credit to his name is approached by Jimi’s management after the legendary guitarist saw the obscure indie film in London and had the idea to collaborate on a project of his own. Jonathan Stathakis had no idea how thrilling the next eighteen months would be, as he and Hendrix formed not just a working partnership but a unique friendship. Hendrix ushered Jonathan into his world, where plenty of sex and drugs surrounded the rock ’n’ roll. From Woodstock to Electric Ladyland, Jonathan leads readers inside one of the craziest trips ever taken in music history.

While writing their script, Jonathan and Hendrix talked about life and where their roads were leading. Hendrix the performer was a flamboyant unpredictable force of nature. But Hendrix the friend was a thoughtful, frustrated, dedicated artist who oftentimes just needed somebody to talk to. Sadly, Hendrix’s journey ended far too soon, and his last phone call to Jonathan—just two days before his death in London—almost seemed to foretell his fate.

With many never-before-told stories and never-before-seen photographs, Jimi Hendrix comes back to life as you’ve never experienced him before. Backstage, on stage, and everyplace in between, get ready to ride through the purple haze and experience one of the most creative and powerful cultural eras in history. It’s Almost Famous with a Hendrix twist.

Jonathan Stathakis began his career in film and TV as a writer for numerous television specials, series, and films. It was his late 1960s indie film Awakening Urge that caused Jimi Hendrix to seek him out. Stathakis was the producer and co-writer of the series Park Street Under that served as the basis for the highly successful Cheers. He has created, produced, and written a number of TV series, specials, and movies for Starz, Showtime, HBO, and others. He lives on the Jersey Shore.

Chris Epting is an award-winning journalist and the author of over forty books including memoirs co-written with the Doobie Brothers, John Oates, Phil Collen, Dave Mason, and many others.