Noel Redding

Noel Redding was an English rock musician, best known as the bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and as the guitarist and vocalist for Fat Mattress. He played on all three classic Experience studio albums: Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and Electric Ladyland (1968). After leaving the band in 1969, he formed Fat Mattress, then Road, and later the Noel Redding Band with former Thin Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell. He spent his final decades living in Clonakilty, Ireland, occasionally performing locally. Redding was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.[edit]

Noel Redding grew up in Folkestone, a coastal town in Kent, England. His father worked on the railways and his mother was a homemaker; he had one brother. Music entered his life early through the British skiffle and rock and roll boom of the 1950s. He learned guitar as a child and played in amateur bands during his teens, performing covers of popular songs at local venues and youth clubs. After leaving school, he moved to London to pursue music full-time, playing in various groups around the capital. His big break came in September 1966 when Chas Chandler, former bassist of the Animals and newly appointed manager of American guitarist Jimi Hendrix, asked Redding to audition. Chandler needed a bassist for Hendrix's new band. Redding, a guitarist by trade, was offered the role on the condition he switch to bass. He accepted, and the trio with drummer Mitch Mitchell became the Jimi Hendrix Experience.[edit]

Redding's tenure with the Jimi Hendrix Experience spanned three years and three landmark albums. The band's debut, Are You Experienced, reached number 2 in the UK and number 5 in the US, propelled by singles like Hey Joe and Purple Haze. They performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, a career-defining set that introduced Hendrix to American audiences. Axis: Bold as Love followed in December 1967, and Electric Ladyland in October 1968. Redding contributed the song Little Miss Strange to the latter, his only solo writing credit on an Experience album. Tensions grew as Hendrix exerted more creative control, and Redding left the band in June 1969. He had already formed a side project, Fat Mattress, in 1968, releasing two albums: Fat Mattress (1969) and Fat Mattress II (1970). After Fat Mattress dissolved, he moved to the United States and formed the band Road, which released one self-titled album in 1972. That same year, he relocated to Clonakilty, Ireland, where he formed the Noel Redding Band with Eric Bell. They released Clonakilty Cowboys (1975) and Blowin (1976). By the 1980s, Redding had largely withdrawn from the music industry, though he occasionally performed in local pubs with his wife Carol. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.[edit]

Redding is often remembered as the quiet, steady anchor of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, overshadowed by Hendrix's virtuosity and Mitchell's explosive drumming. His public persona was that of a modest, workmanlike musician who never sought the spotlight. He favored 1960s mod fashion: long hair, sideburns, velvet jackets, and bell-bottoms. Among classic rock fans, he is respected for his solid bass lines on iconic recordings. Fan culture is niche, centered on forums discussing rare live recordings and bootlegs. There is no official fandom name. He is often portrayed in media as the "quiet one" in the band.[edit]

Noel Redding is currently evaluated by iFANN but holds no placement in the published Global Top 1,000 rankings or any Top-100 scope list. While his name resonates deeply within rock history circles, he does not appear on the current scope lists that track the world's most famous personalities. The vast majority of those who seek out his story identify simply as fans of The Jimi Hendrix Experience rather than followers of a distinct Redding movement. Unlike the devoted subcultures surrounding other icons, there is no formal name for his supporters, though a dedicated niche of enthusiasts gathers on forums and social media groups to dissect his post-Experience work with Fat Mattress. These communities often engage in gentle rituals, such as contrasting his baritone vocals on tracks like "Bleeding Heart" with Hendrix's psychedelic intensity, treating his musical contributions as a beloved insider secret. The cultural narrative surrounding him is built on three enduring legends: the serendipitous switch from guitar to bass that landed him in the band, the nuanced reality of his departure due to artistic frustration rather than a dramatic fight, and the tragic confirmation of his financial struggles revealed in recent court proceedings. In late April 2026, a High Court ruling in London solidified the long-held belief that the bandmates were systematically undercompensated, rejecting claims against Sony Music Entertainment regarding performer rights. This legal defeat cemented the modern understanding of Redding as a foundational talent whose legacy was overshadowed by the very success he helped create.[edit]

Originally a guitarist who never considered himself a true bassist, Redding played guitar at home despite his tenure as the Experience's bassist. He co-wrote "Little Miss Strange," his only solo writing credit on a Jimi Hendrix Experience album, and favored a distinctive Rickenbacker 4001 throughout his time with the group. After leaving the band, he briefly auditioned for the Jeff Beck Group but was not selected. His autobiography, Are You Experienced, offers a candid account of the Hendrix years, and he is buried in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland. He was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 posthumously, while the Experience received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. A widely retold story among fans concerns his accidental entry into the band; originally auditioning for a band that would become The Animals, he ended up playing bass because he had the instrument when the group needed one. Another persistent legend involves his departure following a show in Denver in June 1969, where folklore exaggerates a physical altercation, though the truth centers on his disillusionment with the band's direction. Recent court cases have validated the narrative that he and Mitch Mitchell lived in relative poverty despite their fame, a fact confirmed in hearings during December 2025.[edit]

Redding's father was a railway employee and his mother a homemaker. He had one brother, whose name has not been widely publicized. He married his first wife, Susanne, in the late 1960s; they divorced in the early 1970s with no children. In the mid-1970s, he married Carol Appleby, whom he met after moving to Clonakilty, Ireland. Carol was his partner for the rest of his life and performed with him locally. They had no children. Redding owned a home in Clonakilty, where he lived for over 30 years until his death. He died on 11 May 2003 at his home from natural causes related to liver failure, compounded by years of heavy alcohol use. He was 57 years old.[edit]

Redding is most associated with Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, and Chas Chandler from his Experience years. He later worked with Eric Bell in the Noel Redding Band. His wife Carol Appleby was a musical collaborator in his later years.[edit]

Redding's first marriage was to Susanne in the late 1960s; they divorced in the early 1970s with no children. He then met Carol Appleby after moving to Clonakilty, Ireland, in 1972. They married in the mid-1970s and remained together until his death. Carol performed with him locally and was by his side when he died in 2003. As of his death, he was married to Carol Appleby. There are no known other significant relationships.[edit]

Noel Redding spent his final years living in the United States after a lifetime that included stints in England and Spain, residing in Los Angeles where he was found dead on May 11, 2003. He was 57 when his body was discovered at his home, though specific details regarding the exact medical cause of death were not immediately detailed in the immediate obituary coverage from major publications like Billboard and The New York Times. While initial reports confirmed the discovery of his body and his age, the circumstances surrounding his final days were described by family and friends as involving struggles with substance abuse and alcoholism, yet no official police investigation or legal ruling on the manner of death has been made publicly available in standard biographical records.

Public reaction to Redding's passing included tributes from peers and institutions acknowledging his foundational role in the Jimi Hendrix Experience, often citing him as an underrated bass player who helped define the band's sound. Social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, have continued to host memorial posts on the anniversary of his birth and death, celebrating him as an underrated and underappreciated bass player. The funeral or memorial service for Noel Redding was held privately, with details regarding the specific date, location, or attendees never made public. The privacy of the family suggests a low-profile handling of the final arrangements, consistent with the wishes of many musicians who prefer to keep such matters out of the spotlight.

Posthumously, his estate has seen releases of archival material and ongoing legal disputes regarding his intellectual property, including a significant lawsuit filed in 2021 against Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited which concluded with a 2026 High Court ruling upholding the validity of original contracts signed during his lifetime. In April 2026, the London High Court, presided over by Mr. Justice Edwin Johnson, ruled decisively in favor of Sony Music, dismissing the claims that Redding and Mitch Mitchell were entitled to additional shares of income generated from classic recordings. This ruling effectively settled the dispute, denying the estates their claim for additional royalties while confirming that the original agreements covered the rights to the recordings without reservation.[edit]

iFANN currently estimates Noel Redding's estate value at $4 Million. As of 2026, this figure reflects the ongoing income generated from the Jimi Hendrix Experience catalog, including album sales, streaming revenue, and licensing deals. Following Redding's departure from the band and the subsequent death of Hendrix, legal disputes resulted in a 1974 settlement where Redding signed away many rights for a lump sum between $200,000 and $300,000 alongside reduced ongoing royalties. Posthumously, the estate continues to earn from catalog sales, documentary licensing such as Jimi: All Is by My Side, and the use of Redding's image. His autobiography generated modest income, and his primary asset remained his home in Clonakilty, Ireland. The estate is managed by Carol Appleby Redding until her passing, after which it will be handled by family members.[edit]

Redding was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He did not win any other major individual awards.[edit]