Rock On, Jimi, Rock On! (And Happy 4th!)

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One of my favorite behind-the-scenes moment today was when we played Jimi Hendrix's version of the "Star Spangled Banner." A couple members of our crew stood up and put their hands over their chests. It was patriotic ... and psychedelic perfection.

Jimi Hendrix died a year after my birth. Needless to say, I wasn't partying at Woodstock. But his rendition of the national anthem -- simultaneously defiant and homage -- speaks volumes about what the nation was going through and the cultural whiplash he'd experienced starting in blues and moving into rock.

For more on his life, check out the piece Christopher Johnson and I did with biographer Charles Cross.

So: big up to Jimi. Rest in peace, and happy Independence Day.

Farai Chideya

4:50 PM ET | 07- 4-2007 | permalink

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