IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO TODAY …September 18, 1970. Jimi Hendrix dead at the age 27. Circumstances surrounding his death still swirl with controversy – was it an accident? Was he murdered? Death investigations have been re-opened, but questions remained unanswered. Last year, a former Hendrix roadie wrote a book claiming Hendrix was murdered by his manager Michael Jefferey. Again, no substantiation.
So today, 40 years after his death, we have the music he left us to celebrate his life. Worldwide events are being held to honor the iconic rock legend.
LONDON
HANDEL HOUSE MUSEUM EXHIBIT
In 1968, Jimi Hendrix and his then girlfriend Kathy Ethchingham moved into an upper floor flat at 23 Brook Street in London, a building once occupied by famed classical composer George Frederick Handel.
Today, Hendrix is honored along with Handel with a Blue Placque, a honorium issued by the English Heritage Society honoring famous people and linking them to the building the placque is mounted on an exterior wall (Handel received his in 1952, Hendrix in 1997).
“The flat cost £30 a week,” remembers Etchingham, “and Hendrix loved it.”
Today, the building is home to the Handel House Museum, but for a few weeks this fall, the flat where Hendrix lived, along with two rooms will be set up as a gallery exhibition honoring Hendrix.
The exhibit includes the custom Gibson guitar Hendrix played at the Isle of Wight festival, handwritten song lyrics for “Stepping Stone” and “Love of Confusion”, concert posters, his British work permit, a black Westerner hat and the Dandie Fashion-desinged orange velvet jacket with floral print that was regular stagewear (view of exhibit above).
The Handel House Museum is also sponsoring Hendrix-themed walking tours and panel discussions.
These days, the Hendrix flat is merely an offer an office space for the Handel House organization, a simple picture on Hendrix and Etchingham posted on the wall as rememberence.
The view of Jimi’s flat with the exhibit will be open through November 10. Then the flat to revert to office space.
CUMBERLAND HOTEL
On September 6, 1970, Jimi Hendrix checked into the Cuberland Hotel in London. He paid £17 a night for his suite. Today, a night in the commemorative Jimi Hendrix Suite at the hotel costs £399. Oh yes, that price includes breakfast and a bottle of Smokehead Scotch.
In the four years Hendrix lived in London, he would stay in any number of hotel rooms, furnished flats and boltholes. This was his last residence (the location of his death being Monika Danneman’s flat at the Hotel Samarkand, not where Jimi resided as some stories tell), named on his death certificate as his place of residence.
A story on the dedication on the new Hendrix suite featuring NME journalist Keith Altham and Hendrix historian Yazid Manou talking about Hendrix and his time spent in London can be seen on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddNaLr9gobA&feature=player_embedded.
As Keith Altham, a music journalist who became Hendrix's friend and confidante, puts it, the Cumberland was where Hendrix would go "for the purpose of meeting various young ladies when he wanted to keep away from the various other young ladies that he was seeing.
In the 60s, the Cumberland was a favorite with rock musicians passing through London, with “running hot and cold hookers” in the bar, as Altham remembers.
Nowadays, the Cumberland is a luxury hotel, its reception area a huge expanse of marble and glass, bathed in lime-colored light, with a five-star restaurant attached.
The Jimi Hendrix suite is on the fifth floor, the same floor where Jimi resided. As opposed to replicating the Hendrix room as it was in 1970, designers Mary Gannon and Cynthia Garcia have fashioned a rather gaudy commemoration (see picture above). “A contemporary version of the psychedelic Sixties,” as they put it, “to capture the ethos of Hendrix, and ultimately be a sanctuary where Hendrix himself would enjoy spending time.”
While Hendrix enjoyed darker rooms with Indian and middle-eastern motif, this room blares noisily with primary-colored op-art liines swirling across the ceiling, zebra-skin throw pillows, fibre-optic lights and a huges mural of Hendrix by artist Andie Airfix dominating one wall. The only Hendrix vibes is reprints of magazines and photos of the era framed and mounted on the wall.
You can see a layout of the suite, including a 360-degree view at the hotel’s website: http://www.guoman.com/hotels/united_kingdom/london/the_cumberland/hotel_offers/the_jimi_hendrix_suite.html.
PARIS
Fans of Jimi Hendrix who are visiting Paris in the next few months should drop in to the Renoma Boutique (129 Bis Rue de la Pompe) for a photographic exhibition that marks the 40th anniversary of Jimi’s death. The event, hosted by celebrated fashion designer Maurice Renoma, runs through December 16th. Hendrix expert and ardent fan, Yazid Manou, has hand-picked the selection of photographs which capture some extraordinary moments in Hendrix’s career. The exhibition showcases the work of 12 renowned photographers including Dominque Tarle, Baron Wolman, Jean-Pierre Leloir, Christian Ross and Gered Mankowitz, as well as a selection of rare and unpublished photos from the Archive Photos Collections represented by Getty Images (including above photo). For more information: www.renoma-paris.com. The exhibition is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
CLEVELAND
In Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is pulling out nearly 50 artifacts from their archives for display in their permanent Hendrix exhibit.
On display are guitars, concert posters, photographs, handbills, drawings and a couch from Jimi’s childhood home.
Among the articles of Hendrix’s clothing on display is the outfit he wore (above) at the Love and Peace Festival in Germany for what turned out to be his final concert performance on September 6, 1970.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is taking its message online in a new video web series, All Access: The Story of Rock. The first episode marks the 40th anniversary of Hendrix’s death.
"The web presents some interesting opportunities for us," says Todd Mesek, the Rock Hall's vice president of marketing and communications. "We are sitting on a treasure trove of artifacts and content that people are passionate about. The 'All Access' series really is a way for us to extend our educational mission, to use our content and the music experts we have here at the museum to tell great rock 'n' roll stories. Right now, the idea is to key the series to an artifact in the museum's collection," said Mesek. "But that will evolve. We may look at a genre of music, or a movement. We may use a variety of objects from the collection. People are very passionate about this music. There are great stories to be told."
While they promote the Hendrix story as Rock Hall curatorial director Howard Kramer tells the story of Hendrix's final days, including his last concert in Germany; in reality it’s a simple short promotional video for the venue, using the centerpiece of the patchwork jacket and pink pants that Hendrix wore at that show are in the museum's collection. You can find the video on their website at www.rockhall.org.
SEATTLE
In his hometown Seattle, there’s an entire museum built around the nucleus of Jimi Hendrix – the Experience Music Project. While their exhibits on Hendrix have been pared down since the museum originally opened, they have also jumped on the 40th anniversary bandwagon.
In the permanent Hendrix gallery, where items are cyled in and out from their vast collection, visitors can see the white Fender Stratocaster Hendrix played at Woodstock, guitar shards from his Monterey Festival and Saville Theater smashed guitars, Jimi’s personal diary and address book, along with other artifacts.
To mark the 40th anniversary, the EMP is also putting on display in the Sky Church performance hall the handwritten lyrics for “Black Gold”, black-and-white photos from Jimi’s funeral, Jimi’s 1968 Martin D45 acoustic guitar and several other personal items. “We’ll also play performance footage of Jimi on the Sky Church screen,” notes Director of Curatorial Affairs Jasen Emmons, as well as screening the new documentary Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child that will be packaged with the upcoming release West Coast Seattle Boy.
Drawing upon interviews granted by Hendrix, coupled with letters, writings and recordings, "Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child" provides insight into the rock music icon with never-before-seen photographs and film footage from the Hendrix family archives and a soundtrack that includes performance footage of “Purple Haze”, “Hey Joe”, “Fire” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”. The first screening will include a personal introduction by Janie Hendrix.
The EMP event takes place on September 18 and 19. The film will be screened free of charge at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Surpisingly, there were no special events planned at Jimi’s gravesite in the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery in Renton. In years gone by, Hendrix fans would congregate at Jimi’s gravesite, making crayon sketches of the grave marker and paying their respects often leaving behind a true potpourri of items. However, since the completion of the Hendrix monument, those gatherings have subsided.
CALIFORNIA
California rock music historian James Osborne has put together an exhibit featuring his private collection of Hendrix memorabilia, and will give two talks on Hendrix at California State University – Dominguez Hills campus.
The exhibit Jimi Hendrix: I’ll Meet You in the Next World includes Osborne’s collections as well as some materials owned by the university. Vintage singles and albums, posters, magazines, newspapers and other items document Hendrix’s rise to international startdom.
The Department of Archives and Special Collections at Cal State Cominquez Hills presents two talks by Osborne on the collection – September 16 at 3:30 and again November 17 at 4:30.
The exhibit runs through December 17 in the Archives and Special Collections section of the Cal State University Library, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson, California. For additional information, call 310-243-3013.
SAN FRANCISCO
Can You See Me? - A Life through the Lens photo exhibition takes place at the San Francisco Art Exchange from September 25 through October 26. Curated by and produced in association with Raj Prem Fine Art Photography, Can You See Me? features some never-before-seen images of Hendrix in the 40-photo exhibition. Photographers include Ed Caraeff, Karl Ferris, Bruce Fleming, Eddie Kramer, Elliott Landy, Barry Levine, David Magnus, Gered Mankowitz, David Montgomery, David Redfern, Jerry Schatzberg, Dominique Tarle, and Baron Wolman. San Francisco Art Exchange is honored to present a glimpse of Hendrix's short but powerful life in this exhibition of both iconic and private images.
Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramerwill make an appearance at the opening night reception to talk to press about an new West Coast Seattle Boy box anthology due outl November 16. The Hendrix family and Kramer are giving the guests of San Francisco Art Exchange special insight into these unreleased tracks, through Mr. Kramer's sophisticated knowledge and experience of his friend and colleague. The opening night reception will be held on Saturday, September 25 from 7:00 - 10:00pm.
You can view (and purchase) some of the images that are on display from the website of the San Francisco Art Exchange - http://www.sfae.com/index.php?action=search&table=keywords&item=jimi&start=0&orderby=
WOODSTOCK
In memory of the infamous 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, the city of Bethel has built the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a year-round Woodstock-focused music where Hendrix audio and video clips are inclusive in the exhibit.
To honor the 40th anniversary of his passing, museum spokesperson Shannon McSweeney-LeMay indicates Hendrix will be honored with “a simple wreath at the monument that marks the original Woodstock festival field,” so that guests will have a place to honor his memory. (Photo by Doug Lenier – courtesey of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts)
INDIANA
While most events this year seem to honor the 40th anniversary of Jimi’s death, the Jimi Hendrix Information Management Institute plans an exhibit to celebrate Jimi’s life.
Voodoo Child: The Private Collection is a display of Jimi’s personal articfacts, archival recordings, memorabilia, posters and photographs from the personal collection of Hendrix historian Ken Voss.
The exhibition will be held on November 19-20 at Rubino’s Gallery, 8102 N. Georgia St., Merrillville, Indiana.
The event will coincide with a 2010 Hendrix Tribute Tour stop at the Holiday Star Theater in Merrillville on November 19.
