The Reason Why Ringo Starr Evicted Jimi Hendrix from His London Apartment

The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix remain two of the most iconic forces in music history. While their paths often intertwined musically and socially, one lesser-known story involves a short-lived housing arrangement between Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and guitar legend Jimi Hendrix.

In 1966, Starr began renting out the basement flat of his property at 34 Montagu Square, Marylebone, London. It was the kind of address that became legendary in rock history—hosting not just Hendrix, but also John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and other music icons during the height of the 1960s counterculture.

When Hendrix and his entourage moved in, the rent was a mere £30 a month (around £479 in today’s money). Even adjusted for inflation, it was a bargain for such a central London property. Hendrix shared the flat with his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham, his manager Chas Chandler, and Chandler’s girlfriend Lotta Null.

At first glance, this setup seemed like the perfect arrangement. Hendrix was already making waves in London’s music scene, and Starr was earning a little extra income from his property. But the situation quickly unraveled.

Why Hendrix Was Evicted

The eviction wasn’t about money—Hendrix could pay the rent without issue. Instead, the problem came from a different kind of rock ’n’ roll chaos.

During one particularly bad LSD trip, Hendrix had what could only be described as a destructive episode. In a haze, he ended up throwing whitewash paint across the apartment walls, leaving permanent damage. This wasn’t just a minor mess—it was a full-on property disaster.

For Ringo Starr, who valued his home, this was the breaking point. No matter how legendary Hendrix was becoming, the destruction of the flat forced Starr’s hand. He evicted Hendrix and his companions, effectively ending the arrangement.

Beatles and Hendrix: No Hard Feelings

Despite the eviction, there wasn’t any lingering hostility. The Beatles still admired Hendrix and even supported him in the early stages of his UK career, when not everyone was welcoming.

Hendrix’s manager Chas Chandler later recalled:

“We got a tremendous amount of help from people like Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon.”

In fact, Paul McCartney famously pushed for Hendrix to appear at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, the event that catapulted him to worldwide fame.

Montagu Square’s Legendary Rock ’n’ Roll History

The story of 34 Montagu Square didn’t end with Hendrix. The flat would continue to play host to musical history.

In 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono rented the apartment for three months. It was within those walls that they shot the infamous cover for their avant-garde album Two Virgins. The address became synonymous not just with Hendrix’s acid-fueled mishap but also with Lennon and Ono’s artistic rebellion.

Conclusion

The tale of Ringo Starr evicting Jimi Hendrix is a reminder of how chaotic the 1960s rock scene could be—brilliant music on the surface, but often accompanied by turbulence behind closed doors.

Even so, Hendrix and The Beatles maintained mutual respect, and Starr’s London property became a silent witness to the era’s greatest icons. From Hendrix’s The Wind Cries Mary to Lennon and Ono’s Two Virgins, Montagu Square remains etched in music history.