Question 1279: They need somebody, not just anybody

Keith Emerson and Greg Lake met in San Francisco and on working together, found their styles to be compatible and complementary. Seeking a drummer to complete the band, they approached the drummer of X's eponymous band but they changed their minds when he turned up for a jamming session with rude bodyguards armed with weapons. They instead got Carl Palmer, who at that time was a member of Atomic Rooster. Thus formed the trio"Emerson Lake and Palmer".

X, tired of his band and wanting to deviate from his usual style, showed an interest in playing with the trio. This led the British media to speculate about a supergroup called HELP. Because of scheduling conflicts, such plans were difficult to realize. The trio planned a jam session with X but X died 26 days later, and the three pressed on as Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Identify X.


Answer: Jimi Hendrix. The band would have been called HELP i.e. Hendrix, Emerson, Lake and Palmer.