Hendrix still hits all the right notes in 2017
Even though he’s been gone for decades, Jimi Hendrix still makes the news today. This November would have marked Hendrix’s 75th birthday, and this year is also the 50th anniversary of his landmark debut, Are You Experienced. The catalog of work he crafted during his all too short career is still adored by legions of fans and converts new ones every day. A new attraction dedicated to the late guitar innovator is now available to the public, and fans are eager to pay their respects and learn even more about this musical icon.
The long-awaited park in Seattle has finally opened and legions of admirers are lining up to pay homage to the rock god. The 2.5-acre
park opened a month ago and has already delighted thousands of fans. It includes a beautifully curated butterfly garden, a stunning sculpture and a soundwave wall that pays tribute to Hendrix’s career. The winding sidewalk that runs through the park and sprawling greenspace is inscribed with lyrics from some of the artist’s best known songs. It’s a fitting memorial that acknowledges Hendrix’s immeasurable contributions to modern music and helps spread his legacy with new admirers in his hometown of Seattle. The park itself is a stone’s throw from his childhood home in the city’s Central District and is adjacent to the Northwest African American Museum.
The rock ‘n’ roll legend clearly still strikes a chord with casual audiences, too. His songs are practically omnipresent in movies and TV shows, and the musical icon was recently licensed for his own online video game. The classic rock spin on a traditional slot reel features several of Hendrix’s biggest songs along with images of the artist himself. The game has been immensely popular and is featured by name in the review of one platform. The music of Jimi Hendrix continues to connect with fans today, and with good reason. His tunes were so far ahead of their time that they continue exciting modern audiences and blowing the minds of new generations.
This enduring popularity is behind why Sony has been doing everything it can to renew its licensing deal with the Hendrix estate. The estate was passed to Hendrix’s younger sister, Janie Hendrix, who has spearheaded efforts to keep his memory alive by taking the wheel on the building of Jimi Hendrix Park and the organization of the current Hendrix Experience Tour. The partnership with Sony began in 2009 and looks like it will continue for the foreseeable future. The deal encompasses everything Hendrix recorded between 1966 and 1970 as well as his legendary performances at Woodstock and Monterey Pop Festival.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 50 years since Hendrix unleashed Are You Experienced? on an unsuspecting public. The album explodes with “Purple Haze” and never lets up from there. Virtually every single song from the record is a classic and it still sounds just as fresh and vital now as it did in 1967. Hendrix was truly a once in a lifetime talent and his influence continues to be felt across the world of music today. We’re just glad that his legend is still honored, and hope that a younger generation of rockers has the opportunity to discover his life-changing catalog.
Michael Payne
I was in the army in 1967 when the album came out and it rattled the windows of the barracks. When I was discharged in 1968 “Electric Ladyland” was released and when Hendrix played in Detroit that November I attended the concert. It was the last tour with the original trio. He was the standard that I have compared every other guitar player that I ever saw from that time on until today.