James Marshall Hendrix was born in Seattle, WA in 1942. During his childhood his father recalled young Jimi mimicking guitar playing by using a broom while cleaning the house. He was a self-taught musician and did not know how to read music. From an early age his interest in music was electric and he would go on to become arguably the most notable musician from the Pacific Northwest.
He became one of the most iconic artists of the 1960’s. Songs like Hey Joe and Purple Haze quickly became extremely popular, skyrocketing his career.
In 1969, Jimi played at the Woodstock Music Festival. There he ignited the audience with his iconic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner—a loud and deeply impactful performance. It was a protest anthem in response to a tumultuous era in U.S history.
Despite his rich musical vocabulary and his own heritage as a Black American, Jimi was primarily marketed to white audiences as a “rock” musician. Rock music, of course, was created by Black musicians like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry. The tradition is carried on today by artists like Lenny Kravitz, Gary Clark, Jr. and H.E.R.
Recently, Sankofa Impact premiered a short video depicting moments from our Pilgrimage to the South. You can find the video on our social platforms. It is set to the iconic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner Jimi played at Woodstock. We hope you are able to take time and watch the piece honoring our work toward collective liberation.
