Jimi Hendrix’s One-Year Retirement Plan

LONDON — Jimi Hendrix may do a Bob Dylan and go into seclusion for a year. He told a reporter for the New Musical Express (a pop paper) here that it was time to take a rest.

The Experience has been working steadily for three solid years, Hendrix pointed out, “and there comes a time when you have to get away from it all.

“What I want to do is rest completely for one year. Completely. I’ll have to. Maybe something’ll happen and I’ll break my own rules, but I’ll have to try. It’s the physical and emotional toll I have to think of,” said Hendrix.

This came with full assurances that Hendrix and the Experience would stick together. Bassist Noel Redding plans to perform with his new band, the Fat Matress, and Mitch Michell might take another gig now and then.

But the Experience has no intention of disbanding.

This story is from the May 17th, 1969 issue of Rolling Stone.