What Jimi Hendrix Was Really Like Off-Stage | Michael Braun

Michael Braun is a legendary fashion designer best known for making flamboyant stage clothing for pop culture icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage. If you have ever seen the Macho Man in a wrestling video wearing a crazy outfit.. It was made by Michael Braun. On this episode, Michael details his very close relationship with Jimi Hendrix especially towards the end of Jimi’s life, and how Jimi would always send him hand written letters.
This is a gripping look into the creative mind and business mind of someone who’s day job was making wearable art for the worlds most prominent super star performers.

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[questfortruth]

In 1969 I worked at a club in L.A. called "The Experience", of which Jimi was part owner. He used to come into the club with his guitar, dressed like a regular guy, his hair tamped down so as not to stand out and sit at a table in the back of the club. This happened quite often. I finally asked him one night why he didn't ask to get up and play with one of the bands, and he said "I'll just wait until somebody asks me to play"! And since nobody ever recognized him, nobody ever asked him to play! Very shy and reserved.

[ka]

I believe it. Some of the most introverted people have the most colorful inner lives just waiting for an outlet

[RootzRockBand]

Based on the books I’ve read about Jimi and interviews he gave, you can tell he was indeed very shy and soft spoken off the stage, and very intelligent intellectual critical thinking conscious soul.

[georgeneuman]

This is no surprise at all. Watch any interview with Jimi, he's very shy and self-deprecating, and always goes "aw, no way" when the host calls him amazing. He just seems like he was a really quiet, happy kinda guy.

[billlittlejohn]

Hendrix always impressed me as being very polite. He came across as a really nice guy. You just confirmed my opinion of him.

[boondoggle]

As an introvert myself, I’m not surprised to hear this about Jimi. I speak a similar language as a fellow introvert so I completely understand. It’s tough being an introvert in a very extrovert-dominant country like this, because we aren’t even speaking the same language. The lens through which we process things which informs our precepts and understandings is just completely different, but I suspect that a lot of great artists are introverts.

[GIBKEL]

He left it all on the stage. You hear how gentle and passionate he was on ‘Axis; Bold as Love’- genius!

[medievalknievel]

Finally a comment section that feels like an artists colony
bless you all

[davidgargiulo]

I get the impression that Jimi was a very likable person. I know he hated confrontation with other people. He was a sweet heart of a man that cared about other people. It's such a shame that he left us far too early. We can only imagine even greater music he would've made had he lived. He really was a genius musically, but he was also a very nice guy. I could almost cry when I remember the fact that he's gone. I know that the people that actually knew him and loved him are still very sad that he's no longer with us. His death was such a tragic mistake.

[charlestatakis]

I can see Michael Braun is 100% genuine of his description. If one would watch Jimi Hendrix on interviews, for example with Dick Cavett it is supportive of what Michael presents. Jimi was an artist and not a socialite, a nice guy who loved to express with music and lyrics.

[thamendment]

Hendrix had a very neglected childhood. And a very poor role model. His mother died of alcoholism when he was 15. She was 33. She would leave him in a bassinet on the front porch of her neighbor Freddie Mae Gautier (a woman) to go out and party without telling Gautier. Gautier told of finding him in front of her door at times during the winter with a frozen diaper...how terrible.
Hendrix wrote his beautiful tribute "Angel" for/to his mother.

His childhood was TOUGH. He wasn't really abused, but he sure had it rough. He was the only full blood child born to his father Al and mother Lucille. He had two other younger half-siblings -- Leon and Joey. Although Al and Lucille were married throughout (but not always together), Leon had a different father and Joey had a different, DIFFERENT father. Lucille admitted this, but Al raised them as his own. Finally Al took custody of all three because Lucille was so dysfunctional. But things weren't good at all. Because he was so poor Al had to make the agonizing choice of first putting Leon up for adoption, then putting Joey in foster care because he could only feed one child. But Jimi still would go days without food at times. Hendrix himself never spoke of these things -- people have no idea how bad it was for him as a child. Which makes his persistence and accomplishments that much more impressive to me.

[carltaylor]

I've seen many interviews with Hendrix. He was always quiet, very polite and very modest and I would describe him as an absolute gentleman. Very intelligent and with a wonderful sense of humour. As is often the case, he was not even slightly like his media image.

[stevep]

His music was his life, he was the best!

[daskritter]

the flamboyance and guitar smashing was one thing, but Jimi's imagery and
own poetic view is STILL unique.

[dustinstewarttexas]

He was a trained U.S. Army Airborne trooper!

[rientsdijkstra]

When seeing interviews with Jimi Hendrix I always get the impression that he was also a quite an intelligent guy. Often more intelligent then the interviewer. And you often see that intelligent people are introverted because they know the consequences of things, and therefore choose to lay back.

[jaykafcas]

I met and hung out with Michael.
He was doing a fashion/art show in Tampa where he was selling some of Jimi's clothing/memorabilia.
I wore my absolute most DEADLY outfit.
I was late and the doors were locked.
I kept knocking & knocking and a dude answered the front door and told me it was too late and the doors are locked for the show.
But he caught a slight glimpse of me and
said to wait a minute, he'll get Michael.
Michael came abruptly, opened the door and went to say something and stopped.
He looked me over in a mere second and said,
"Yes, definitely, come on in".
He's just like in this interview.
He is GROOVY.
Super rad dude, extremely detail oriented in
such a GROOVY way.
I wanted to buy Jimi's pants he had for sale but...
they would need to be altered
& were a very expensive pair of trouser's!!!

[glenacord]

Being quiet and shy offstage is exactly what I'd expect after seeing the Dick Cavett interview.

[vfxeriksen]

"Just go make some art and enjoy it." Words to live by.

[robsas]

Some of the most introverted and quiet guys... are the best performers... JH got me into rock and I love what he did.