UNITED KINGDOM: AN ENGLISH HERITAGE BLUE PLAQUE IS UNVEILED TO THE LEGENDARY GUITARIST JIMI HENDRIX IN LONDON

Record ID: 338465

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: AN ENGLISH HERITAGE BLUE PLAQUE IS UNVEILED TO THE LEGENDARY GUITARIST JIMI HENDRIX IN LONDON
  • Date: 14th September 1997
  • Summary: (VERY SHORT SHOT) (SEPTEMBER 14, 1997) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) CROWDS BEHIND BARRIERS IN STREET OUTSIDE 23 BROOK ST, MAYFAIR, WHERE ROCK SINGER/GUITARIST JIMI HENDRIX LIVED BETWEEN 1968 ASND 1969 KATHY ETCHINGHAM, WHO PROPOSED PLAQUE, HUGGING FRIEND . JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE BASS GUITARIST NOEL REDDING AND WIFE POSING ROCK GROUP THE WHO GUITARIST PETE TOWNSHEND ARRIVING PEOPLE LOOKING ON FROM ABOVE SHOP REDDING, TOWNSEND AND ETCHINGHAM POSING JIMI HENDRIX'S FATHER, JAMES AL HENDRIX, AMONG CROWD REDDING SAYS, "THIS IS WONERDFUL TRIBUTE, ALL SAY A PRAYER, GOD BLESS HIM, I STILL THINK OF HIM ALL THE TIME" (ENGLISH) TOWNSHEND SAYS, "HE WAS ASKED TO COME BECAUSE HE IS GUITARIST, MANY MORE SUITABLE, BUT HE CAN SPEAK BETTER THAN MOST OF THEM; LIVE JIMI WAS MASTER, STUNNING , CHILLING, EROTIC, TRANSCENDETAL, CREATED LIGHT" (ENGLISH) PLAQUE UNVEILED TOWNSHEND, ETCHINGHAM AND REDDING APPEAR AT UPSTAIRS WINDOW NEXT TO PLAQUE HENDRIX'S FATHER SAYS, "IT'S GREAT REWARD" (ENGLISH) FAN SAYS, "HE DESERVES PLAQUE NEXT TO HANDEL, IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HANDEL" (ENGLISH) HANDEL PLAQUE TOWNSHED SAYS, "HE AND ERIC CLAPTON WENT TO SEE HIM AT THE FLAMINGO CLUB IN WARDOUR STREET, THEN WENT EVERY NIGHT FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS KIND OF HOLDING HANDS BECAUSE HE WAS DEVASTATING, HE REALLY MADE YOU TAKE STOCK" (ENGLISH) REDDING SIGNING SIGNING AUTOGRAPH SAYS, "HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO BE A PLUMBER" (ENGLISH) REDDING GREETS OLD FRIEND, WALKS OFF
  • Embargoed: 29th September 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA2JQ8BKZLV33J0VYICVL9WI0RS
  • Story Text: Jimi Hendrix, the definitive wild man of rock, is still a controversial figure 27 years after his death.

    In London a blue heritage plaque has been unveiled in honour of Hendrix on his one-time home. Ironically, on the building next door a similar plaque remembers George Frederick Handel.

    The Handel Society is reported to be annoyed about the arrival of the Hendrix plaque at 23 Brook Street, Mayfair, where Hendrix lived in 1968-69 with Kathy Etchingham.

    But Pete Townshend, another guitar legend from rock group The Who, unveiling the plaque, said: "There's been a lot of talk about whether a rock performer deserves to be on the building next door to George Frederick Handel, and I think he does.

    "I think that not all performers in pop and rock do deserve this honour, I think Jimi does, I really believe he does. He was so special, so extraordinary, he's up there for me with Miles Davis and Charlie Parker as somebody who was a virtuoso, an innovator, he was different, extraordinary and new." Townshend said he was "so proud" that what Hendrix did, he did in London, where he first came to fame.

    "Maybe he could only have done it in London, I don't think he would have been recognised in the same way in the States, not because of any shortcomings there, but because the climate here, the social and musical climate, was clearer." He said it was not true, as people sometimes said, that the two of them had a "spat" at the Monterey Pop Festival.

    "I just didn't want to be on the same stage as him, within an hour, ever," he said.

    They mobbed Hendrix's father, James Al Hendrix, 78, and sister Janie, 36, who watched the proceedings from that pavement.

    Mr Hendrix said: "Jimi loved London, it means a lot to us because he was discovered here." Hendrix is the first pop performer to get a blue plaque, which are normally given to long dead scientists, politicians and poets.

    English Heritage rules say they can only adorn buildings associated with people who were born more than 100 years ago or have been dead more than 20 years.

    Hendrix died in London on September 18, 1970. A post mortem examination found death was due to inhaling vomit after overdosing on sleeping tablets.

    When Hendrix lived in Brook Street, he was at the height of his fame, releasing classic third album Electric Ladyland in 1968.

    The American guitarist, who played with Little Richard, had found solo stardom when he moved to London and had a hit with Hey Joe in 1966.
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