Hendrix's note to '˜Foxy Lady' at Boston's Gliderdrome sells for thousands

Back in 1967, Hendrix met Anthea Connell at the Spain Place venue and was so taken with her he wrote on the back of a guitar strings packet: ‘To Anthea. Love and kisses to you forever. I wish I could really talk to you. Stay sweet. Jimi Hendrix’.

The treasured autograph has today (October 23) sold for £5,700 at Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire. The original estimate was £2,000-£3,000.

Mrs Connell (nee Rogers), 69, from West Bridgford, said: “It exceeded any expectations I might have had. I’d really like to thank Jimi for the memories of meeting him all those years ago and now I’d like to thank him for his very lucrative signature.

“The money raised will go towards air tickets for a trip to New Zealand so Anthea husband Steve and I can visit my cousin and his wife who live near Wellington. I hope Jimi would approve. It’s certainly a

bit more rock ‘n’ roll than buying a new boiler or double glazing.

“We’ll be raising a glass of champagne to his memory and his stunning music which continues to cross the generations and has massive appeal to this day.

“I told my dad, who’s 102, about the sale of the autograph and he said ‘you always liked to be the centre of attention!’”

Claire Howell, Hansons’ head of music memorabilia, said: “I am not surprised the Jimi Hendrix note fetched such a high price. It has amazing provenance thanks to Anthea sharing her story of meeting him. So often, these stories are lost and forgotten.

“The other reason it did so well is because Jimi died young, aged 27 in 1970. That means his autograph is rare. Some of the most sought after musical autographs belong to people who died young. They call it the 27 club because, as well as Hendrix, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse all died at the age of 27.”

“But, as this auction has shown, though they may be gone these talented stars will never be forgotten.”

When Hansons revealed the sale of the Jimi Hendrix autograph it sparked a media frenzy. Mrs Connell found herself on 120 news websites all over the world and on radio and TV.

The mother-of-two, now retired from her job in Student Support Services at Nottingham Trent University, said: “Apart from meeting Jimi in person, way back in 1967, I can’t think of anything more exciting, exhilarating, exhausting or nerve-wracking than the attention I received from the media when the news was released that I was auctioning his autograph.

“I had absolutely no idea the lovely signed message which Jimi gave me 50 years ago would cause such a sensation.”