How Did Jimi Hendrix Die?
Jimi Hendrix died of complications related to drug consumption. It was not a drug overdose, but the side effects of prescription barbiturates that did it: He had to vomit and the sleeping pills he had taken inhibited his gag reflex, so he asphyxiated on his own upchuck.
But why did it happen?
Did the experimental youth intend to kill himself? Did he simply abuse his own limits with little thought of the consequences? Or worse, was the death a set-up the skullduggery of a mysterious person or group who wanted this legend-in-the-making dead?
Although his death was never ruled a homicide or suicide, there are many who, decades later, believe there is much more to the story. There are a number of reasons to suspect foul play.
Whodunnit? Drug Addiction
There is no doubt many young musicians from the 60s and 70s succumbed to the drug-fueled excesses of the rock ‘n roll lifestyle – Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and more.
But Jimi Hendrix was not a drug addict. He didn’t even have very much alcohol in his system at the time of death – the equivalent of four pints, according to the autopsy.
As for the meds, Hendrix was a chronic insomniac who often used sleeping pills to get enough rest for his grueling touring schedule. The drug that suppressed Jimi’s gag reflex has long since been pulled from the market. Such high-risk barbiturates are no longer used for routine sedative purposes, but in Jimi’s day, the risks were poorly understood.
It is possible that the nine barbiturates found in Hendrix’s lifeless body were nothing more than the restless superstar’s honest attempt to get some shut-eye before an impending trip to the United States.