Biography Noel Redding

Noel Redding (25 December 1945 – 11 May 2003) was a rock & roll guitarist but best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Born in Folkestone, Kent, England, he was selected by Chas Chandler to join Hendrix's band in 1966, and left in 1969. Although he appeared in other bands before and after Hendrix's death, he never achieved a similar level of success, and retired to Clonakilty Cork in Ireland in 1972.

At nine, Noel played violin at school and then mandolin at about 12 and guitar at 14 years old. His first public appearances were at the Hythe Youth Club then at Harvey Grammar School where he was a student due to take his GCEs.

His first local bands were:

The Strangers: with John "Andy" Andrews (bass)

The Lonely Ones: 1961 - John Andrews (bass) Bob Hiscocks (rhythm guitar); Mick Wibley (drums); Pete Kircher (vocals and in '63. drums). The Lonely Ones made (45 EP vinyl, private record) at the Hayton Manor Studio in Stanford, Kent, in 1963, with Derek Knight on vocals, Trevor Sutton on drums?, Noel Redding on lead guitar and John Andrews on bass. First recordings: Some Other Guy; Money; Talking About You; Anna.

The Loving Kind: 1966 with Pete (Kircher) Carter (drums); Jim Leverton (bass); and Derek Knight (vocals).

At 17 Noel went professional and toured in Scotland and Germany, in the clubs with The Burnettes and The Loving Kind.

Noel was the first person to join the Experience and that was by accident. He had gone to audition on guitar with Eric Burdon of The Animals and got the job as Jimi's bassist.

Noel went on to form Fat Mattress with another Kent musician Neil Landon (the former Burnettes-singer) on vocals, Jim Leverton from Dover and Eric Dillon, the drummer, from Swindon.

While living in Los Angeles. Noel joined Road, a heavy metal outfit. They released one album, Road (1972).

Noel moved to Ireland in 1972. He formed The Noel Redding Band with Eric Bell from Thin Lizzy, Dave Clark and Les Samson. They did two albums for RCA, three tours of the Netherlands, two tours of England, one tour of Ireland and a 10-week tour in America. The band dissolved after a dispute with their management company.

In his book Are You Experienced? (co-authored with Carol Appleby) and publicly he spoke openly about his disappointment in his being cut off from the profits of the continued sale of the Hendrix recordings. He was forced to sign away his royalties in 1974, and later had to sell the bass guitar he used during that time.

Noel Redding recorded and toured sporadically through the years, occasionally doing session work on other artists' albums. He performed with the rock band Phish in 1993.

He died at his home in Ireland at the age of 57.

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