It’s hard to imagine a time when Jimi Hendrix wasn’t a global icon. Today, he is remembered as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. But in the mid-1960s, he was still a young, unknown musician trying to make a name for himself. One of the people who witnessed Hendrix before he became famous was David Gilmour — years before he joined Pink Floyd.
A Broke Musician in London
Back then, Gilmour was living in London and had very little money. He often visited a small club in South Kensington called Blaises. For a low membership fee, he could go there for free several nights a week. It was the perfect place for a young guitarist to listen to live music without spending much.
A Strange Night at Blaises
On December 21, 1966, Gilmour walked into the club and immediately felt something was different. The place was packed — but not just with regular people. He noticed members of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the crowd. That alone told him something big was about to happen.
Then a young man walked in carrying a guitar case. He got on stage, opened the case, and pulled out a guitar. Gilmour noticed something odd: the guitar was set up for a right-handed player, but the man flipped it around to play left-handed. That man was Jimi Hendrix.
A Performance No One Could Forget
When Hendrix started playing, the entire room was stunned. According to Gilmour, “jaws dropped.” No one in the club had ever seen or heard anything like it. Hendrix played with incredible energy and creativity — sometimes using his teeth, sometimes barely touching the strings. Even musicians who were already famous stood in silent amazement.
For Gilmour, it was a life-changing moment. He realized he was watching someone truly special, someone who would soon reshape the world of rock music.
Trying to Find Hendrix’s Music
The next day, Gilmour went out to buy a Hendrix record — but he couldn’t find anything. Hendrix wasn’t famous yet, and his music hadn’t really hit the shelves. It was only days earlier that his first single, “Hey Joe,” had been released in the UK. Within months, Hendrix would release his debut album, Are You Experienced, and become a worldwide phenomenon.
Gilmour was ready. The moment he got the chance, he dived into Hendrix’s music, excited to follow the career of the incredible guitarist he had seen in that small London club.
This moment is a beautiful reminder that even legends start small.
Before the fame, before the myth, Jimi Hendrix was just a young man with a guitar — but the spark was already there, bright enough to amaze even the greatest musicians of his time.