The Boring Sandwich That Ended Up Being Jimi Hendrix's Last Meal

The concept of "last meals" goes back to ancient Greece. Whether served to death row inmates as a way to encourage their soon-departed souls to rest in peace or as a fun dinner party question, it is a ceremonial practice that has long fascinated many people. In reality, a last meal is often not something you intended to be your final food; it just happened to be the most recent one you ate. In the case of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, the last meal he had was purportedly a tuna sandwich.

The accounts surrounding his death at age 27 are numerous and conflicting. What is fact is that Hendrix died in London in 1970, and his cause of death was linked to complications from a barbiturate overdose. The last person to see him alive was his girlfriend, German figure skater Monika Dannemann. She had prepared a late-night meal for him of a tuna sandwich, and they apparently shared a bottle of wine. Hendrix was found unresponsive the next morning, which was later deemed to be related to the overdose.

What would Hendrix have requested from Dannemann instead, if he knew that a tuna sandwich would be his last meal? No one can say for sure, but in a list of "loves and hates" compiled for the British teen magazine Jackie in the late 1960s, he notes "chocolate milkshakes," "strawberry shortcake," "spaghetti," and "fruit juice" on his list of things he loves. "Mashed potatoes" and "English foods" made the list of things he hates, with the latter being tragically ironic, given the location of his death.

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Over half of people want steak to be their last meal, according to a consumer report from Meat by Linz. So while a tuna sandwich may not be a popular choice for such a weighty occasion, when prepared and served with love, it can taste like the best thing in the world. 

There are folks firmly in the camp of toasted bread, or those who prefer to take it one step further and add cheese to make a tuna melt. For purists who enjoy their tuna sandwich on untoasted bread, a dense variety like rye works well. If you're keen on white bread, line the slices with a layer of butter or mayo to avoid a soggy tuna salad sandwich. One way to seriously upgrade tuna sandwiches is to add a bit of bright tang to the salad. Lemon or pickled onions are common, though vinegar will do the trick just fine, especially if you are not a fan of mayonnaise.

Jimi Hendrix was not the only famous person to have a sandwich for their last meal. Outlaws Bonnie and Clyde's last meal was also sandwiches – it has even been alleged that Bonnie Parker was killed with a fried bologna sandwich in her hand. Perhaps, then, a variation of the "last meal" question can be, "Which sandwich would you want for your last meal?"