Is Morgan Freeman Really Jimi Hendrix?

Claim:

Musician Jimi Hendrix faked his death and is now living as actor Morgan Freeman.

Evaluation:

A bizarre conspiracy theory positing that US musician Jimi Hendrix faked his death in 1970 and is now living as acclaimed actor Morgan Freeman is widely shared on social media. For example, Newspunch, a website that has repeatedly traded this type of misinformation, published an article entitled “Morgan Freeman is Jimi Hendrix, researchers claim‘ in May 2018, stating:

Jimi Hendrix reinvented himself as actor Morgan Freeman in the 1970s shortly after faking his own death, researchers claim.

According to internet sleuths, Morgan Freeman’s sudden rise to fame in the 1970s happened after Hendrix allegedly died on September 18, 1970.

newspaper later updated the intro and title of this article to make it clear that this rumor came from conspiracy theorists and not “researchers”:

We’ve updated the headline and beginning of the article to make it clear that while entertaining, the theory that Jimi Hendrix and Morgan Freeman are the same person is highly unlikely.

The idea that Freeman is actually Hendrix is ​​largely based on three claims: Freeman and Hendrix are both music fans; Freeman and Hendrix look alike; and Freeman’s acting career did not take off until after the death of Hendrix in 1970.

While the first two claims may be true, they aren’t particularly convincing either. After all, Freeman and Hendrix are far from the only people who enjoy music. Freeman owns one Blues bar in Mississippibut if fondness for blues music is the threshold of evidence, it’s just as likely that Freeman did in fact have Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Freddie King, Little Walter, Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, T-Bone Walker, or any other famous man is. late blues musician.

Freeman’s appreciation of blues music probably speaks more to his upbringing in Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago, Illinois than to claims that Freeman is actually a deceased musician.

Freeman and Hendrix also share a passing resemblance to each other:

However, many of the image comparisons accompanying this rumor border on parody. The website WellAware1for example, tried to establish a definitive connection between Freeman and Hendrix based on the wrinkles seen in two photographs taken decades apart:

Scribbled lines on a photograph does not constitute evidence.

The final claim that Freeman’s career only began after Hendrix’s death is inaccurate.

Hendrix died on September 18, 1970. A post-mortem found that Hendrix died of “asphyxia due to barbiturate poisoning.” A newspaper clipping of Hendrix’s death is below:

Tue 09/29/1970 – 78 Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) Newspapers.com

While Freeman was not a household name at the time of Hendrix’s death, his acting career took off before 1970. Morgans first screen appearance appeared in an uncredited role in the 1964 Sidney Lumet film The Pawnbroker. Freeman also appeared in at least four stage productions prior to Hendrix’s death, including Hello, Dolly!, The Dozen, and Exhibition. Here is a newspaper clipping from 1969 with an unflattering review of “The Dozens” published in The Herald-News:

Fri, 03/14/1969 – 50 The Herald News (Passaic, New Jersey) Newspapers.com

It seems a little unbelievable that as an actor, Hendrix doubled as a musician just so he could fake his death and pursue a career in film.