Guitar God Jimi Hendrix was arrested in Sweden (January 4, 1968), for trashing his hotel room during a drunken rampage.
Jimi and his band, The Experience were in Gothenburg, Sweden for a four-date tour when the incident occurred.
The group checked into the Hotel Opalen and headed out for a night of partying at an establishment named Klubb Karl.
When they returned to their hotel room, they headed to Experience member Mitch Mitchell’s hotel room, where conversation ensued that set Jimi off.
The singer trashed the entire hotel room, causing extensive damage in his drunken rampage.
When police arrived, Jimi told the police that he only had three beers and two whiskies, although he believed somebody had spiked his drinks.
But Jimi also admitted that he got a bit aggressive and went “mad” sometimes when he drank too much.
“When he checked into a hotel, it wasn’t like being in America where you got security on the floors of the hotel,” Mitch Mitchell explained.
“People would turn up and say, ‘let’s have a party,’ you know, like in Sweden, they could only drink by license a couple times a year!” Mitchell said.
Jimi Hendrix was injured in the rampage, after he severely cut his hand, from smashing his fist through a pane.
Two policemen were called to the scene to arrest Jimi, but he could not be subdued and soon after, reinforcements were arrived.
Jimi Hendrix was charged with criminal damage and released.
Waxfact: It was during this incident that Jimmy supposedly uttered his famous line: “I’m the one who’s got to die when it’s time for me to die/so let me live my life the way I want to.”
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