Jimi Hendrix has his own park

Jimi Hendrix is a world renowned classic rock legend that may actually not be all that familiar to our current “Generation Y.” However, a park built in his honor might help to change that.

Born in Seattle in 1942 as Johnny Allen Hendrix, he ended up living with his father who changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix when he was four years old, but he is known to the world as Jimi. He received his first guitar at age 16, and the rest is history.

Part of what made Hendrix such an iconic figure to the world of rock n’ roll musicians was his uncanny ability to perform instrumental sets that produced new and unique sounds using electric guitars. Although he relentlessly performed throughout Europe and the U.S., his most coveted performances were from the Monterey International Pop Festival, where he set his Fender Stratocaster on fire at the closing of the show, and Woodstock, where he performed his famous feedback version of the National Anthem. The popularity of these two performances was in part due to their inclusion in documentaries.

In September of 1970, Hendrix died at the young age of 27. After his death, his half sister, Janie Hendrix along with their father cofounded the Experience Hendrix company. They managed to gain control of his musical catalogue and re-released his albums on CD as well as embarked on other ventures. One such venture was recently reported by Rolling Stone magazine. In his birth city of Seattle, Experience Hendrix has managed to gain enough funding to establish a park in his honor, Jimi Hendrix Park. The park consists of 2.5 acres next to the Northwest African American Museum. ERRG, Inc. will begin the “Little Wing” phase one construction of new walkways, gardens, and a central plaza this April.

According to the Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation, also founded by Janie Hendrix, there will be a phase two construction of more pathways, lighting, and a “shadow wave wall,” for which fund raising is still ongoing. In a statement posted on their website Janie noted that, “It is our hope that for generations, it will exist as more than an attraction or point of interest, but a place of homage to one of Seattle's own. The landscaping, the artistic design, and the ambience all mimic the vibe of the persona of Jimi, whom this park honors.”

Image courtesy of LFI/INFphoto.com