Monika Charlotte Dannemann (24 June 19455 April 1996) was a German figure skater and painter. She was the last girlfriend of guitarist Jimi Hendrix, and later the wife of German guitarist

Uli Jon Roth Uli Jon Roth (born Ulrich Roth; 18 December 1954) is a German guitarist who became famous for his work with the hard rock band Scorpions and is one of the earliest contributors to the neoclassical metal genre. He is also the founder of Sky Aca ...

of the

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

Figure skating

In 1965, Dannemann participated in the

German Figure Skating Championships The German Figure Skating Championships ( ger, Deutsche Meisterschaften im Eiskunstlaufen) are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Germany. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men's s ...

representing the club Düsseldorfer EG.

Involvement with Jimi Hendrix

Dannemann was first introduced to Jimi Hendrix on 12 January 1969, in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second- ...

, after being invited to a Jimi Hendrix concert there. She spent that night with him and part of the next day too, when she accompanied him to his next concert in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

; after that, she returned to Düsseldorf. He spent the last night of the tour with model

Uschi Obermaier Ursula "Uschi" Obermaier (; born 24 September 1946) is a former fashion model and actress associated with the 1968 left-wing movement in Germany. She is considered an iconic sex symbol of the so-called "1968 generation" and the protests of 1968. ...

, with whom he was filmed kissing and petting outside the Kempinski Hotel the next morning. He wrote to Dannemann on 25 March 1969, inviting her to visit him in New York City. Dannemann claims she next saw Hendrix when she travelled to London on 25 April 1969 in the hope of meeting him again, where she bumped into him at the

Speakeasy Club The Speakeasy Club, also known as The Speak, was a club situated at 48 Margaret Street, London, England, and served as a late-night meeting place for the music industry from 1966 to June 1978. The club took its name and theme from the speakeasie ...

. She says they spent some time together over the next nine days, but she only spent one night with him. After his September 1970 European tour, Hendrix began a relationship with the Danish model Kirsten Nefer. (It was reported in the Danish press at the time that they were engaged.) After Nefer left London due to work, he again took up with Dannemann on 15 September and spent the next four nights at her flat at the

Samarkand Hotel fa, سمرقند , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from the top:Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zind ...

Notting Hill Gate Notting Hill Gate is one of the main thoroughfares of Notting Hill, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically the street was a location for toll gates, from which it derives its modern name. Location At Ossington Street/Ke ...

, where he died. On the evening of 17 September Hendrix took at least one amphetamine pill (known as a "black bomber") at a party, where he stayed for a short while. Later, at Dannemann's flat, Hendrix took nine of her Vesparax

sleeping tablet Hypnotic (from Greek ''Hypnos'', sleep), or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of (and umbrella term for) psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to sleep induction, induce sleep (or surgical anesthesiaWhen use ...

s; Hendrix was officially declared to have

died Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

at St. Mary Abotts hospital at 12:45 PM. The cause of death was

asphyxiation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that ca ...

through aspiration of vomit due to a

barbiturate overdose Barbiturate overdose is poisoning due to excessive doses of barbiturates. Symptoms typically include difficulty thinking, poor coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and a decreased effort to breathe (respiratory depression). Complicati ...

Later years

After Hendrix's death, Dannemann became romantically involved with German rock guitarist

of rock band Scorpions, with whom she collaborated on several songs (one with Scorpions titled We'll Burn the Sky), album cover designs (of Roth's second band Electric Sun), and artwork. Roth also wrote the foreword to Dannemann's book about her experience living and working with Hendrix, entitled ''The Inner World of Jimi Hendrix'' (1995). Dannemann died of suicide by

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as " flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large ...

at age 50 in

Seaford, East Sussex Seaford is a town in East Sussex, England, east of Newhaven and west of Eastbourne.OS Explorer map Eastbourne and Beachy Head Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. In the Middle Ages, Sea ...

. She had lost an ongoing court battle with another of Hendrix's girlfriends,

Kathy Etchingham Kathleen Mary Etchingham (born 18 June 1946) is an English writer known from the Swinging London music scene of the 1960s and her relationship with Jimi Hendrix. Early life Etchingham was born in Derby, the daughter of Charles Etchingham, an ...

, two days earlier.

Book

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dannemann, Monika Sportspeople from Düsseldorf 1945 births 1996 suicides German female single skaters Suicides in England Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning German emigrants to England Jimi Hendrix 20th-century American musicians 1996 deaths