Monika Dannemann
Encyclopedia
Monika Dannemann was a German figure skater and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

, mainly known as the last girlfriend of US rock guitarist/singer Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

 and later the wife of german guitarist Uli Jon Roth.

Figure skating

In 1965 she participated in the German Figure Skating Championships
German Figure Skating Championships
The German Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Germany. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing....

 representing the club Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...

er EG. She came in 16th position.

Hendrix and his death

Dannemann was first introduced to Hendrix in January 1969 after being invited to one of his German concerts. After that meeting, a relationship blossomed. She would later claim that Hendrix had asked her to marry him (confirmed by Jimi's father, Al Hendrix) and she would have done had he not died. Dannemann is known for being the last person to have seen Jimi Hendrix alive. On the evening of September 17 Hendrix took at least one amphetamine (known as a 'black bomber') at a party where he stayed for an hour. Hendrix then asked Dannemann for a sleeping pill. On the morning of September 18, 1970, Dannemann found Hendrix in a coma at her basement flat at the "Samarkand Hotel". She called 999 for an ambulance which arrived at 11:27. Investigations later determined that Hendrix was still alive (albeit just) when emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene. Hendrix died at St. Mary Abotts hospital between 11:45 and 12:15. Hendrix took 9 Vesperax sleeping pills before his death; the recommended dose was 1/2 to 1 pill. Cause of death was barbiturate intoxication (he asphyxiated on his own vomit).

The Hendrix death case was re-examined by UK police in 1993 but they found no reasons for another inquest ("neither necessary nor desirable" they wrote to Dannemann on 7 March, 1994) after the Attorney General decided to withhold his consent.

After Hendrix

After Hendrix's death, Dannemann became romantically involved with German rock guitarist Uli Jon Roth, formerly of the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...

, with whom she collaborated on several songs (notably "We'll Burn the Sky") and album cover designs and artwork. Roth also wrote the foreword to Dannemann's 1995 book about her experience living and working with Hendrix, entitled The Inner World of Jimi Hendrix. The front cover featured a photo of Hendrix taken by Dannemann a day before his death.

After his death Dannemann held onto Hendrix's famous black Stratocaster (nicknamed Black Beauty by Hendrix). It was kept in its case until 1993, when it was examined by Len Jones
Len Jones
Len Jones was a British actor and voice actor of the 1960s and 70s.In his youth, Jones featured in television series such as Z-Cars , Adam Adamant Lives! , Dixon of Dock Green , Softly, Softly and The Adventures of Black Beauty...

. The guitar was last seen in public at a guitar event on 3 December 1995 in London.

Death

In 1996 Dannemann was convicted of breaking a British High Court order not to repeat allegations that Kathy Etchingham was an "inveterate liar" for accusing her of playing a role in Hendrix's death. Etchingham asked the judge to jail Dannemann but this was turned down. Two days later Dannemann was found dead in a fume-filled Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...

 near her cottage in Seaford
Seaford, East Sussex
Seaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000....

, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...

, aged 50. Her death was ruled a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

, though Uli Jon Roth suggested that foul play may have been involved, as Dannemann had received numerous death threats following Hendrix's death.

External links

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