At the court of King Crimson

Robert Fripp and Jimi Hendrix: two musicians who proved decisive for the evolution of guitar in rock, yet who aren't usually linked for stylistic affinity. And yet, in 2020, the supreme leader of King Crimson, during a public conversation with his sister Patricia, precisely reconstructed the decisive weight Hendrix had on his formative years, at a time when his relationship with music was finding a definitive direction.

Fripp first recalled the impact of hearing that young American guitarist who had found in England a kind of creative refuge. A new sound, physical, charged with sensuality, that broke with every previous grammar. "Remember the opening notes of 'Foxy Lady' or 'Purple Haze'? Of course you remember them. They changed my life," says Fripp, summing up in a few words the effect of that revelation.

But that's not all. Fripp has also recalled a supposed encounter with the Seattle tightrope walker, which took place "on a Wednesday," on the occasion of a King Crimson concert. The story of this episode has actually been circulating since 1976, via the booklet of the Crimson compilation "A Young Person's Guide To King Crimson", in which, however, it was also written "Some of the mistakes included are deliberate"... Fripp has recounted that historic day several times: May 14, 1969, at the Revolution Club in London, where Hendrix himself is said to have been among the audience at a Crimson concert. "One of his traits was his radiance: he shone," Fripp recalls. "He came up to me and said: 'Shake my left hand, it's the one closest to my heart'". A brief encounter, but enough to leave an indelible mark. The memory is further reinforced by an anecdote relayed to Fripp by a friend: the sister-in-law of King Crimson's first drummer, Michael Giles, recalled Hendrix jumping around the room in excitement, repeating: "This is the best band in the world!". And Fripp concluded firmly: "At that time we were. For about three months, we were the best band in the world."

Several sources, however, cast doubt on Jimi Hendrix's presence in London on the night of May 14, 1969, placing him instead continuously in New York and the United States. According to reliable documented accounts, in those days Hendrix was said to be busy with jam sessions at New York's Scene Club with Steve Stills and Johnny Winter, as well as studio sessions at Record Plant, also documented by recordings circulating on bootlegs. The official concert chronology adds further weight to the skepticism: on May 11 Hendrix performed in Indianapolis, on the 16th in Baltimore and on the 17th in Providence, with additional sources confirming the Experience's live activity on those same days. The idea of a quick transatlantic trip for a London outing therefore seems rather implausible.

Fripp, however, would keep the story circulating on various other occasions, feeding the legend, tempered by the sardonic irony that often characterizes his public statements. What remains, in any case, is the notion that an invisible bond continued to tie together the paths of two of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.

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15/03/2026