I have to admit, until last weekend, I didn’t know a lot about Jimi Hendrix. The only thing I knew was that he was black, played the guitar, died young and was a rock icon. Until last weekend.
A little over a week ago, I was searching through the cable menu of programming for the evening when I saw on the local PBS station a documentary on Hendrix. I’ve always been curious on how a brother in one of the most turbulent racial times in our history ended up playing hard rock. So I checked it out……and got schooled!
First, if there was a Mt. Rushmore of guitarists, Hendrix would be the first image carved in stone. In doing a little research on him, Rolling Stone magazine ranks him as the #1 guitarist of all time…..this includes every guitarist of every genre. His guitar was like an extension of his hands and arms. The genius of his music is only eclipsed by his method of infusing rock with blues and a dash of soul. When listening to his sound and influences, I realized that Hendrix really created his own genre of music. Something that can be appreciated by all.
I also realized that Hendrix’s music was a precursor to Funk. When you listen to Voodoo Child or Foxy Lady, the sound is laced in funk. When you hear other artists of the ‘70s like the Ohio Players, Funkadelic and Slave, you hear a little Hendrix in their sound. The only other artist that infused and blended music like this was Prince. That’s why we consider him (Prince) a genius also.
Hendrix died way too soon. But in his death, he left a body of music that catapults him to legendary status. He might not have achieved the commercial success of a Michael Jackson or Madonna but there is no arguing that Jimi Hendrix was the greatest of all time.
It's only fitting that on July 4th weekend I leave you with this Hendrix song/video that celebrates Americana in a way no other artist has been able to capture. Enjoy.
RIP Jimi.
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The t-shirt we use to print the designs is from a company call Next Level Apparel. They make some of the best t-shirts in the apparel biz. Our base t-shirt is their premium tri-blend crew neck t-shirt. This t-shirt is a mashup of 50% polyester, 25% combed ring spun and 25% rayon. That mix makes for three things: an extremely soft t-shirt that drapes nicely with a vintage-type look. So you’re getting a cool looking shirt that feels great. The t-shirt weighs 4.3 ounces. So you’re not wearing a bulletproof vest but a mid-weight garment. And since the fabric is mostly polyester and rayon, there is little, if any, shrinkage. Now the t-shirt does run a little small so if you like a roomer fit, please select the next size above what you normally wear.
Also, we don’t believe in offering you a one-style-fits-all or “unisex” t-shirt (whatever that is). We give the fellas and ladies a t-shirt that’s specifically made for them and their unique features. If a particular style of t-shirt isn’t available for a gender then we’ll let you know and recommend a size in that shirt that may accommodate you.
In the future, we’ll rollout different styles of tees like a scoop neck (for that off-the-shoulder Flashdance look), long sleeve, hoody and ¾ sleeve raglan so you’ll have a variety of options to choose from year round.
We recommend turning your t-shirt inside out when washing. Please machine wash in cold water with like colors. It’s best to hang dry but it’s cool if you tumble dry on low setting. Please do not iron on the decoration.
