{{short description|American guitarist (born 1954)}} {{BLP sources|date=June 2018}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Randy Hansen | image = Randy Hansen 02.jpg | caption = Hansen performing with Café Authors in 2008 | birth_date = {{birth date and age |1954|12|8|mf=y}} | birth_place = Seattle, Washington, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | instrument = Guitar | alias = | genre = {{hlist|Psychedelic rock|blues|R&B}} | label = {{hlist|Grooveyard|Capitol}} | years_active = 1972–present | website = {{URL|randyhansen.com}} }}
'''Randy Hansen''' (born December 8, 1954) is an American guitarist best known for his "Rock Tribute Act" honoring Jimi Hendrix.<ref name="Gen-X bio">[http://www.genxentertainment.us/id3.html Artist Bio's] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214135610/http://genxentertainment.us/id3.html |date=2009-02-14 }}, Gen-X Entertainment Intl. Inc. Accessed 6 October 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.jazzhausbooking.com/Randy_Hansen-en Randy Hansen (USA)], Jazzhaus Booking (Germany). Accessed 6 October 2008.</ref><ref>The Grooveyard releases are listed on [http://www.grooveyardrecords.com/discs.html Grooveyard Discs] on the Grooveyard site, Accessed 6 October 2008.</ref>
==Background== Randy Hansen, born in Seattle, Washington on 8 December, 1954.<ref>Coffee House Guitars - [https://www.coffeehouseguitars.co.uk/pages/guitarist/randy-hansen RANDY HANSEN]</ref>
He continues to perform as a solo artist in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the United States.{{Citation needed|reason=References needed|date=November 2025}}
Hansen has four self-released CDs of original music in print, all available online - ''Old Dogs New Tricks'', ''Good Intentions'', ''Tower of Love'' and ''Funtown'' which was released on the German Jazzhaus records label. He continues to live in Seattle. As of 2008, Hansen is on the roster of Gen-X Entertainment Intl. Inc., who also represent bands ranging from the Amazing Rhythm Aces to the current incarnation of Jefferson Starship.<ref name="Gen-X bio" />
==Career== He composed 17 minutes of the soundtrack for the 1979 movie ''Apocalypse Now'',<ref name="Gen-X bio" /> (1980 Academy Award Winner for Best Sound). His debut album was released in 1980 on Capitol Records and was recorded at the Automatt Studios in San Francisco with Scott Rosburg on bass and vocals and Charles Tapp on drums and vocals. That group played two North American tours which included several coliseum shows with Bob Seger, Sammy Hagar, REO Speedwagon, Head East, Triumph, Poco and Blue Öyster Cult.<ref name="Gen-X bio" />
In 1984, Hansen impersonated Jimi Hendrix in the music video for Devo's cover of "Are You Experienced?". He played with comedian Sam Kinison in 1991.<ref>{{cite AV media | people=Miller, Walter C. (Director) | date=1991 | title=Sam Kinison: Live in Vegas | medium=Motion picture | time=56:05 | publisher=Comedy Dynamics}}</ref>
Hansen's Hendrix act first came to prominence with '''Randy Hansen's Machine Gun''' (1977–80),<ref name="LarkinHR"/> with Larry Epperly on bass guitar and Tim Kelliher on drums. All three had previously been in a band called Kid Chrysler and the Cruisers.<ref name="LarkinHR">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=202}}</ref> Hansen's Machine Gun performed on bills with Heart, The Kinks, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and others, and were written up by ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Guitar Player''.<ref>[http://pnwbands.com/machinegun.html Randy Hansen's Machine Gun], Pacific Northwest Bands. Accessed 6 October 2008.</ref>
After his debut album, Hansen's emphasis continued to be on original releases in the Jimi Hendrix style of composition, in addition to including large numbers of Hendrix compositions in his live shows.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> One of the high points of Hansen's career was when he played concerts with a band that included the original Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell from The Jimi Hendrix Experience band or Buddy Miles from Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsys.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> Since 1991, Hansen has toured Europe almost every year with Manni von Bohr on drums and Ufo Walter on bass, in addition to performing at outdoor music festivals. {{Citation needed|reason=References needed|date=November 2025}}
Hansen co-wrote the song, "The Change" with Buddy Miles. It was included on Buddy Miles ''Miles Away from Home'' album that was released in 1997.<ref>Discogs - [https://www.discogs.com/release/2444362-Buddy-Miles-Miles-Away-From-Home Buddy Miles – Miles Away From Home, Tracklist, The Change, <small>Written-By – Buddy Miles, Randy Hanson</small>]</ref><ref>''Los Angeles Times'', Sept. 20, 1988 - [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-20-ca-2299-story.html MUSIC, POP MUSIC REVIEW : Randy Hansen Re-Creates Hendrix Style By DUNCAN STRAUSS]</ref><ref>Jazz Music Archives - [https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/album/buddy-miles/miles-away-from-home BUDDY MILES — Miles Away from Home]</ref>
[[File:Randyhansenandstevendubois.jpg|thumb|right|Randy Hansen (right) with Steven Dubois at Irvine Lake's Legends of Rock concert in September 2009]]
==Discography== * ''Randy Hansen'', (Now Hear This, 1971) * ''Randy Hansen'' (Capitol Records, 1980) * ''Monster'' (Herbie Hancock album) (Columbia Records, 1980) * ''Astral Projektion'' (Shrapnel Records, 1983) * ''Classics Live - "A tribute to Jimi Hendrix"'' (Ananaz Records, 1992) * ''Hendrix by Hansen'' (Grooveyard / Affengeil Records, 1993) * ''Old Dogs New Tricks'' (Grooveyard / Green Tree Records, 1997) * ''Thinking Of You'' (Rudolf Music 2000) * ''Tower Of Love'' (Grooveyard / Manni v. Bohr, 2000) * ''Good Intentions'' (Grooveyard / Manni v. Bohr, 2003) * ''Alter Ego'' (Randy Hansen, 2004) * ''Live in Berlin'' DVD (Grooveyard, 2005) * ''European Tour 2008 - Hendrix Live'' * ''Live In Boston - December 1980'' (Rudolf Music, 2008)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Official website|1=http://www.randyhansen.com}} * [http://www.rudolfmusic.com/randy.htm Randy Hansen] at RudolfMusic.com
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Randy}} Category:Living people Category:1954 births Category:Musicians from Seattle Category:American rock guitarists Category:American male guitarists Category:20th-century American guitarists Category:20th-century American male musicians