The Jimi Hendrix Experience Animals bassist, Chas Chandler, formed a backing band with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell. Mitchell was a seasoned London drummer formerly with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. Hendrix chose Redding because of his attitude towards music and his hairstyle. Redding had been a guitar player until that time, but played bass in the band. The name "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" was coined by their business manager Michael Jeffery. The first official appearance of "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" (invited by French singer Johnny Hallyday) was at the "Novelty" in Évreux, France, on October 13, 1966. Six days later
Canadian drug charges and trial of Jimi Hendrix their destination Levine confronted him: "Jimi, I know you have something in that guitar case. I don't know what it is, and it's not normally my business to interfere, but I know we will be searched at customs." Hendrix insisted that he had nothing to worry about, stating: "Trust me, Bob, no one is going to recognize me", to which he replied: "Recognize you? They will be waiting at customs for you." Soon after their arrival at the Toronto airport, Hendrix was arrested by customs agents who found a capsule of an unknown substance in his guitar case. He spent