Billy Cox

Billy Cox ( born October 18, 1941 in Wheeling, West Virginia) is an American bassist. He achieved fame in particular through cooperation with Jimi Hendrix. Since his death, Cox is primarily active as a studio musician as well as a bass player in selected Hendrix tribute bands.

Childhood and youth

Billy Cox was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and grew up in Pittsburgh. His mother was a pianist and his uncle, a saxophonist, had played together with Duke Ellington. During his school years he tried his hand at various instruments. Under the influence of musicians such as Ray Brown and Charlie Mingus, he finally chose the double bass and played in the subsequent period in the school orchestra and in extracurricular jazz projects. In 1961, he began his military service in the U.S. Army.

Musical collaborations with Jimi Hendrix

Both Cox and Jimi Hendrix were stationed soldiers at Fort Campbell. There, they met in a practice room where Cox Hendrix first heard play guitar. Hendrix's guitar playing impressed Cox so that he, after he had two months after Hendrix left the Army, immediately made ​​contact with him. They have founded the King Kasuals, an RnB band, with whom she appeared in clubs in the United States in the so-called Chitlin ' Circuit. Mid-1960s, Hendrix was a band called The Jimi Hendrix Experience in London form and also asked Cox to. This, however, declined the offer because he felt burned out by the extensive live tours and it also the financial risk was too great. He was replaced by Noel Redding entered.

Cox and Hendrix met again in 1969, when Hendrix formed a new band under the name Band of Gypsys. In addition to Hendrix and Cox drummer Buddy Miles was part of the occupation of the group. This is considered the first so -called power trio that consisted exclusively of colored musicians. From this band shortly after went out the reformed Jimi Hendrix Experience, whose member Cox remained until the death of Hendrix in September 1970.

Cox is also heard on the posthumous Jimi Hendrix albums South Saturn Delta, Live at Woodstock, Live at the Fillmore East, and a reconstructed version of First Rays of the New Rising Sun. Very well known is his appearance at the Woodstock Festival with Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, under the leadership of Jimi Hendrix and the Cry of Love tour with Jimi Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell in 1970.

The time after Hendrix

After the death of Jimi Hendrix Billy Cox in 1971 published his first solo album entitled Nitro Function, can be heard on the Char Vinnedge and Robert Tarrant. In the following years he worked as a studio and session musician and has played with several other bands and musicians, including the Charlie Daniels band. Cox moved to Nashville, where he participated in a local Hendrix Tribute 1985. The response was so positive that he formed a band called Gypsy Sun and Rainbows. The highlight was a joint appearance with Stevie Ray Vaughan, in which the two musicians together Come On Part 1 and Voodoo Child ( Slight Return ) played in 1986. For Vaughan this performance was the highlight of his then ongoing tour.

In 1998 Billy Cox was formed with drummer Mitch Mitchell and guitarist Gary Serkin the Gypsy Sun Experience, with whom he completed a series of performances. In 1999 he took part in the recordings for the album Midnight Daydream by Bruce Cameron next to Michell, Buddy Miles, Jack Bruce and others. In 2006 he published with his rhythm partner Buddy Miles a new album, on which, among other things, new recordings of some songs by Jimi Hendrix are in October and November 2008 he took part in the 19 shows of the Hendrix Experience.

Equipment

During his time with Hendrix used Billy Cox in the studio and live Jazz Precision basses since the latter his statement after better penetrated in the band structure. At amplifiers he used Marshall. Today he plays the "Billy Cox Freedom Bass " which he has dedicated to the guitar company Cort, about the Ampeg SVT amplifier.

Discography

The discography lists only solo albums.