On September 18 , 1970 , Turner 's relationship with Hendrix came to an unexpected close when Hendrix died from drug-related complications at the age of 27 . Soon after , Turner sought to establish his own music career by forming his own band , The Velvert Turner Group . The band was composed of Turner on lead guitar and as lead vocalist , Prescott Niles on bass guitar , Christopher Robinson on keyboards , and Tim McGovern on drums . Turner even resembled Hendrix , sporting an afro and wearing colorful clothing in concerts . Performance-wise , Turner was also known to play behind his back or with his teeth . In 1972 , Tom Wilson pursued the opportunity to record the band for their debut album on the Phillips label . The group 's debut album , '' Velvert Turner Group '' , reflects the guitar playing of Hendrix 's later work , and Turner even produced vocals similar to Hendrix . All of the tracks were original material , except for the final song on the album , a cover version of the Hendrix song , " Freedom " . Even the backcover of the album features a fish-eye view image , reminiscent of The Jimi Hendrix Experience 's debut album , '' Are You Experienced ? '' . '' Velvet Turner Group '' failed to impact the national charts , and the band broke up soon after . Turner 's former bandmates reappeared in groups including The Knack , The Motels , and The New York Dolls
Hendrix died
Death of Jimi Hendrix
Velvert Turner