Jimi Hocking
| Jimi Hocking | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Kevin Hocking |
| Also known as | Jimi the Human |
| Born | 7 June 1963 |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Hard rock, Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar (lead, acoustic), vocals, mandolin, keyboards |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | Avenue/EMI, Primitive, Feral, Blah Blah Blah, Black Market Music |
| Associated acts | The Astro Boys, The Aströs, The Housewarmers, The Angels, Jimi the Human and Spectre 7, Jimi Hocking Band, The Screaming Jets, Jimi and The Human Condition, Jimi Hocking's Blues Machine |
| Website | jimihocking |
| Notable instruments | |
| Les Paul Gold Top | |
James Kevin Hocking (born 7 June 1963) otherwise known as Jimi the Human is an Australian musician. He has been a member of hard rock groups, The Angels (1988) and The Screaming Jets (1994–97, 2010–present). As a solo artist he has fronted various backing bands playing hard rock, electric and acoustic blues by providing lead guitar, vocals, mandolin and keyboards. In 2005 he won the Solo/Duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.
James Kevin Hocking, was born on 7 June 1963 and grew up in Melbourne. His father, Kevin Hocking, was a pianist, musical director and composer who worked in TV and theatre; while his mother was a singer. Kevin taught his son to play piano who showed little interest in it. After Hocking was given an acoustic guitar as a Christmas present, he became a self-taught guitarist. He later worked in amateur theatre.
Hocking started performing in groups in Melbourne in 1983. In the following year he formed The Astroboys alongside Peter German (ex-Phantom Band) on bass guitar and vocals, Glen Miles, and Christian Muehlke on drums. He composed and performed the theme for ABC-TV telemovie, Emerging in 1985; and provided guitar session work for the network's series, The D-Generation, in the next year. When performing in cafes Hocking would change his description on the "Who's Playing Board", he related "I started to add silly titles (like) Jimi the Singer, Jimi the Muso ... Eventually I wrote Jimi the Human, a joke about playing any style".
Early in 1986 Hocking, on lead vocals and lead guitar, and German formed The Aströs as a hard rock group with Greg Pedley (ex-Phantom Band) on drums. Hocking also worked on TV series Fame and Misfortune during that year. Also in 1986 The Aströs released a self-titled four-track extended play on Robot Records. It had been recorded live-in-the-studio at Working Class Studios in May. In the next year Hocking, German and Pedley performed as The Housewarmers, however by August The Aströs had reconvened and they toured nationally. They were described by The Canberra Times as a "hard rocking Melbourne band, [which] are ready to rocket on to the Australian music scene".
In May 1988 The Angels' lead guitarist, Bob Spencer, broke his wrist after an on stage collision with front man, Doc Neeson. The group asked Hocking to temporarily replace Spencer for the remainder of the group's Live Line Tour of Australia. Hocking provided lead guitar and backing vocals. He later recalled "I was called up as the result of some session work I had recently done ... It was originally to fill in for one night and the tour would be cancelled ... The gig went so well, that the band offered me the guitar spot for the rest of the tour, so overnight I found myself on a major rock tour".
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