“Contrary to some reports, Jimi was still alive when he reached the hospital.”

– Noel Redding (in his book “Are You Experienced”) 

Here is some first-hand information from those who were on the scene
at St. Mary Abbot’s Hospital on September 18th 1970:

The medical staff:

“The patient was still alive…”

– John Suau (the ambulanceman who accompanied Jimi to hospital)
from an investigation by Ex Police Superintendent Dennis Care (early 90s)

“I heard them [the two doctors] say later that he had died in the ambulance.”

– Walter Pryce (Accident & Emergencies Admissions Officer, St. Mary Abbotts Hospital 1970)

“We wouldn’t have worked so hard trying to resuscitate him if he was already dead.”

– Dr. Seifert (Medical Registrar, St. Mary Abbot’s Hospital – September 18th 1970) in a filmed interview in February 2000.

“We must have thought that at the time, there was a possibility that we could try and resuscitate him”

– Dr. Seifert in an interview with the BBC in 1995

The journalists:

On that fateful day of September 18th 1970, the police and the staff at St. Mary Abbot’s Hospital informed the press
that Hendrix had passed away in the ambulance on the way to the hospital:

“Pop star Jimi Hendrix died in an ambulance yesterday on the way to the hospital”

– David Tune (The Daily Mail)

“A spokesman for the hospital said the 27 year old guitarist was alive
when admitted but died shortly [after] noon”. 

– Peter Goddard (journalist)

“The police sources said [Hendrix] was admitted to St. Mary Abbot’s Hospital
at 11:45 and died about one hour afterward….
…A hospital spokesman said first Hendrix was dead on arrival but doctors
who examined him later said he lived for about one hour after admission.” 

– UPI press telex September 18th 1970

10 days later, the official inquest confirmed that Jimi wasn’t dead at the Samarkand:

“The inquest into Hendrix’s death was told that he died on the way to hospital,
after being picked up by an ambulance at this building.”

A British TV reporter standing outside The Samarkand Hotel.

This didn’t deter the conspiracy theorists.

As a fellow researcher once said:

“People believe what they want to believe. The widespread distrust of the authorities (Vietnam war, Watergate, etc. only made it worse)
and a preference towards intrigue and mystery versus the plain boring facts are powerful influences as to what people believe.”