   |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Cox |
| Born | October 18, 1941 Wheeling, West Virginia, United States |
| Genres | Rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, rhythm and blues, blues rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | Reprise, Legacy, Capitol, MCA, Sony, Dagger, Pye, Polydor |
| Associated acts | The King Casuals, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, Band of Gypsys, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jimi Hendrix, Gypsy Sun Experience, Buddy Miles, The Charlie Daniels Band, J.J. Cale, Gov’t Mule, Band of Gypsys Experience |
| Website | bassistbillycox.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fender Jazz Bass Fender Precision Bass |
|
William “Billy” Cox (born October 18, 1941) is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix. Cox is the only surviving member of Jimi Hendrix’s three main bands, including the original Experience lineup (which did not include Cox); he was in the Band of Gypsys and afterwards the Cry Of Love (a.k.a. Jimi Hendrix New Experience) trio. Cox was also in the short-lived Hendrix band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows (there are other surviving members from this group) which played Woodstock, prior to the Band of Gypsys formation. Cox continues to perform dates with the Band of Gypsys Experience and the Experience Hendrix Tour.
In 1969, several months before bassist Noel Redding left the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Hendrix called his old friend Cox, who joined him in New York as his studio bassist. Following the break-up of the Experience, Cox became a member of Hendrix’s experimental group, tentatively titled Gypsy Sun and Rainbows. This group went on to play at Woodstock and two low-key New York gigs before being disbanded. Hendrix then formed another short-lived group with Cox and Buddy Miles, the Band of Gypsys. They recorded the eponymously titled live LP that he owed former manager Ed Chalpin as part of a legal settlement. Following their demise, Cox played a series of shows with Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell in the reformed New Experience, formerly called The Cry of Love. In addition to the Band of Gypsys release, Cox’s bass playing can be heard on such posthumously released Hendrix albums as South Saturn Delta, Live at Woodstock, Live at the Fillmore East, Nine to the Universe, and a reconstructed version of First Rays of the New Rising Sun, in addition to such home-videos as Live at the Isle of Wight 1970, Live at Woodstock, The Dick Cavett Show, Rainbow Bridge, and Jimi Hendrix
Cox mentioned in an interview on a radio morning show that he can be heard playing bass on five of the first notes of Jimi Hendrix’s famous Woodstock “Star Spangled Banner”. The rendition was completely impromptu according to him. He said he thought to himself at the moment, “I realized we had not rehearsed this, I had better lay off.”
Bass Stuff 