The Billy Cox Appreciation Thread!

[de la mocha]

Billy Cox is a musician. He is best known as a bassist, for his work with Jimi Hendrix.

Hendrix and Cox met while in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Campbell, in Kentucky. The two performed at clubs in Nashville, Tennessee. Hendrix invited Cox to accompany him to England as part of a band; Cox preferred to stay in the local R&B scene. Hendrix opted for Noel Redding instead; along with drummer Mitch Mitchell, the Jimi Hendrix Experience would achieve mainstream success in England, and later in the United States.

In 1969, after dissolving the Experience, Hendrix formed Gypsys, Suns, and Rainbows, with Cox as the bassist. Cox stayed with Hendrix through the group's breakup and the later breakup of Band of Gypsys, on whose self-titled debut he featured. Cox worked on First Rays of the New Rising Sun, Hendrix's fourth studio album, which was cut off by Hendrix's death.











Billy Cox met Jimi Hendrix when they were serving in the Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in 1961. Ducking into Service Club #1 to get out of a sudden rainstorm, he heard guitar playing inside. Impressed with what he heard, he introduced himself, told Jimi he played bass, and they were jamming soon after.

They became, and remained, fast friends. They left the military around the same time and they played clubs around the area, finally settling in Nashville, Tennessee.They formed a group now known to history as the King Kasuals. They did all the Nashville clubs and traveled all over the southeast and as far north as Indianapolis playing what was called the "Chitlin' Circuit" (the black club scene).

Jimi eventually left Nashville and continued to struggle all over the country until he was discovered by Chas Chandler in New York.

Chas took Jimi to England, (and the rest is history) but before Jimi left, he called Billy and asked him to go and be part of it. Billy (in his own words) "Only had three strings on my bass" and no money to travel to New York, so he thanked Jimi and wished him well.

Destiny had other plans for Billy. He continued to play, backing some of the greats in R n' B until the Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up in mid 1969. Jimi then called his old friend and Billy was there...recording in the studio, playing Woodstock (as Gypsys, Suns, and Rainbows) recording some more, playing the legendary series of shows with Jimi and Buddy Miles as the Band of Gypsys, and performing and recording solidly through the year 1970.

After Jimi's death Billy played for a time with the Charlie Daniels Band. Following that he continued to do sessions and club dates.

I met Billy in 1985 and several months later co-produced a Hendrix tribute in a local club where we showed rare video and had some live music. I asked him if he would come so I could introduce him to the crowd. he asked, "I don't have to play do I ?" "Just be there as my special guest," I told him. He not only showed up, he brought his bass, a guitar player, and Fred Edwards the drummer from his days with Charlie Daniels. I said to him, "I didn't think you were going to play!" to which he replied, " I couldn't let you down Dave."

He got such a positive reaction from the people that he put together a group with Gary Serkin on guitar and various singers and called it Gypsy Suns and Rainbows.

In 1986 I introduced Billy to Stevie Ray Vaughan. I sat on the front row of the empty auditorium and watched them rehearse "Come On Pt. 1" and "Voodoo Child" (Slight Return). That night they brought the house down. Stevie was humble and thrilled to be working with one of HIS heroes. He later confided to me that, that night was the high light of the entire tour for him.

Billy Cox has recently reunited with Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell, and guitarist Gary Serkin and done a series of shows under the name Gypsy Sun Experience.

Last Summer, the Cort company released the Billy Cox "Freedom" model bass. The story...and the music..goes on.

^^^^^^ I got this off the net, that's not me talking...... LOL!

[James Hart]

A great player for sure!!!! Thanks for the thread.

[d8g3jdh]

Great player, far better than Noel IMO.

[Vorago]

far better than Noel indeed, although I like the Experience Albums with Noel better than the Band of Gypsies album.

[jerry]

I saw Billy with Band Of Gypsys at the Fillmore when I was fourteen, it probably set my destiny!

[bigtexashonk]

Very underappreciated bassist. What Noel Redding did with JHE was interesting, but Billy is and has always been a "Bass Player". I'm still enthused by the lock Billy/Buddy produced on the BoG shows. That's as tight as it gets.

[nysbob]

Billy could really drive a tune. A lot of the later recordings had great Jamerson-esque bass work...he was a good match for what Jimi was writing at the time. The live stuff with him & Mitch Mitchell is the best IMO.

[KeishabaSubbota]

don`t know why
but i`ve special affection for Noel (I really cry when i found out that he pass), and i could`t apreciate Billy`s playing cause he was "the new one"...
anyway, billy is better, but noel is my man for jimi
see ya
manuel

PS: please forgive my english, i speak really bad, and also didn`t sleep last night...

[bassbully43]

:

Originally Posted by jerry

I saw Billy with Band Of Gypsys at the Fillmore when I was fourteen, it probably set my destiny!

My Oh My I would of loved to have been there and have been in your shoes Loved Billys playing and Noels as well both had their roles with jimi and were solid as hell.

[jmarcus2]

Billy totally locked down the bottom in Band of Gypsies! Probably my fav JH album. Great that he's still in the game

[pacojastorius]

man, billy cox is the deal! i used to listen to Band of Gypsies all night, really funky stuff coming out from buddy miles/billy cox.

[oldfclefer]

A major influence in my playing.

IMO, every young bassist should learn the entire original BoG.

[Mojo-Man]

Originally Posted by nysbob

Billy could really drive a tune. A lot of the later recordings had great Jamerson-esque bass work...he was a good match for what Jimi was writing at the time. The live stuff with him & Mitch Mitchell is the best IMO.

My first live show, I was ten, Jimi Hendrix with Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell.
Blew my mind.
I was to young to know.
Still 36 years later, one of the best show I've ever seen.
Hendrix had an larger than life stage pressence.
Like, Miles, Jaco, Otis Redding, Led Zepplin.
One of a kind.

[CaracasBass]

As a Hendrix fan I must say that I prefer Noel as his bass player. I do cried too when knew that he died. Billy Cox is a huge, very funky player and his work with BoG was beautiful.

[chucko58]

There's nothing I can add, except to say that Billy's playing on the Band of Gypsys album was a huge inspiration when I was learning to play bass.

[bassist15]

When I first started listening to JHE (Jimi Hendrix is pretty much my all time favorite musician) Noel was a favorite bassist of mine. It was pretty much Hendrix though cause he wrote all the basslines. He badly wanted guys around him who could carry on by themself and improvise. Towards the end of Noel being with Hendrix . Noel was becoming a great bassist and could improvise and solo very well. When Billy Cox came into the picture he brought his own ideas and his own basslines. Hendrix and him had so much fun you can really see the fun with BoG. To bad Hendrix's managment got in the way with things or he couldve done some amazing albums with some amazing musicians (Miles , The Brecker Brothers , Funk Brothers, gil Evens to name a few)

[pc]

My main influence. And I prefer their last configuration, with Mitch on drums.

[Joebone]

No, not a law firm, but by far my favorite Hendrix configuration! Don't know if I'd dig Mitchell in other contexts, but his energy was a nice counterpoint to Hendrix. That said, Band of Gypsies remains my favorite Hendrix album, with "Machine Gun" being one of the greatest tracks by anyone, anywhere, anytime. I'm jealous of all who attended that concert!

[Akami]

Originally Posted by pc

My main influence. And I prefer their last configuration, with Mitch on drums.

Jimi's favorite too, Mitch and Billy.

[sethlow3]

Billy Cox is amazing! He had a definate impact on me as a player. He actually lives here in nashville. I got his autograph years ago. His lines are so tasteful and are much better than Noel's IMHO.