In October of 1966 Mitch Mitchell auditioned for a band being assembled for a promising but little known guitar player. He got the gig and in less than a year, they would release the group's first album. The guitar player was Jimi Hendrix, the band was The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and the album was Are You Experienced?. This groundbreaking recording would help expand the possibilities for rock drummers, while forever transforming the role of the electric guitar in modern music.

 

With songs such as "Fire" (in some ways a drum solo with guitar accompaniment), and "Third Stone from the Sun" (an early example of his use of jazz elements in rock), Mitch, along with bassist Noel Redding, provided the collaborative sparks that the genius of Hendrix drew upon to propel himself onto a worldwide stage.

 

Mitch remained with Hendrix throughout the life of "The Experience" and appeared with him during the legendary Woodstock performance. He was to return to work with Hendrix in 1970 after the Band of Gypsies era ended.

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, he continued performing for sold out audiences until the end. Mitch Mitchell passed away in 2008 only days after the final stop on his US tour.