Blue ballpoint signature, “The Best of Happiness to you, Jimi Hendrix,” on an off-white 6 x 8.25 stationery sheet from London’s Cumberland Hotel. The consignor notes that the signature was obtained by the floor manager at the Cumberland Hotel in September 1970, just days before Hendrix’s untimely passing, distinguishing this autograph as one of the last ever made by the rock and roll legend, who was found dead in London’s Samarkand Hotel on September 18, 1970. In fine condition, with intersecting folds, and an old masking tape stain to the top edge.
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks, the period business card of the original recipient, “Mr. E. Bourdillon,” and a letter of provenance from the recipient’s son, which reads: “This is to confirm that the Jimi Hendrix autograph ‘The Best of Happiness to You’ was signed and given to my father just before Jimi died in September 1970. I can confirm the autograph was given to me by my late father, Etienne Bourdillon, who was the Floor Services Manager at the Cumberland Hotel, London at the time of Jimi's death.”
After playing the Isle of Wight and Love & Peace Festivals at the start of his Cry of Love Tour of Europe, Hendrix returned to London and booked into suite 507-8 in the Cumberland Hotel on September 6, 1970. Five days later on September 11th, in his suite at the Cumberland, Hendrix gave his final interview when he talked with Record Mirror journalist Keith Altham and confirmed that his band's bass player, Billy Cox, was ill, returning to America, and that the Cry of Love tour was effectively canceled.
The final days of Hendrix’s life were, in contrast to this beautiful and thoughtful signature, not a period of happiness. He was dealing with two lawsuits and a dishonest manager, and his mental and physical states were in sharp decline from overwork, drug use, and lack of sleep. Hendrix's performance with Eric Burdon and War at the Ronnie Scott Club on September 16th was his last public concert and, for friend Ronnie Wood of the Faces, the last time he would see or speak to Hendrix: ‘He was walking down the stairs with his arm around this girl and I said to him, ‘Jimi, say goodnight’ – and he didn’t turn round, I said, ‘Jimi, say goodnight!’ and he turned round really slowly, out of his brain, and just gave me a little stoned wave. And that was the last the world saw of him. Very sad, very sad departure.’
Less than 48 hours later, Hendrix was found unresponsive in the Samarkand Hotel apartment of his girlfriend, Monika Dannemann, and rushed to St. Mary Abbots Hospital. Hendrix was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27, with his death certificate listing the cause as ‘inhalation of vomit, barbiturate intoxication,’ and his last official residence as ‘507/508 Cumberland Hotel, Great Cumberland Place, Marylebone.’ Jimi Hendrix signatures from this tragic time frame are virtually nonexistent and represent a rare and profound artifact from a significant chapter in rock and roll history.
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