Hendrix said he was gay to get out of army

ROCK legend Jimi Hendrix pretended he was gay to get out of the US Army, a new biography reveals.

Hendrix was discharged from the 101st Airborne division in 1962, launching a musical career that would redefine the guitar, leave other rock heroes of the day speechless and culminate with his headlining performance of The Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1969.

Hendrix's subterfuge, contained in his military medical records, is revealed for the first time in Charles Cross's biography, Room Full Of Mirrors.