I grew up in Seattle and was in high school when Jimi Hendrix was at his peak of popularity. It is interesting to me that now, over 50 years later, he is so well regarded. Many of his peers consider him to have been the best rock guitarist of all time.
I attended two of his shows. The first was at the Seattle Center Coliseum, later Key Arena, now Climate Pledge Arena, and originally the Washington State Pavilion at the World’s Fair in 1962.
Anyway, post-World’s Fair, the Coliseum was often used for concerts. There was one particularly unusual layout they had which involved a revolving stage in the center of the audience. For the Hendrix show, the stage didn’t revolve but it was in the middle of the audience. Early in the concert, a lot of fans surrounded the stage and caused the Fire Marshall to turn on the lights and cut the electricity to the stage.
I thought it was just awful that Seattle’s native son was treated so badly. But the drummer, in protest, started an extended solo while Jimi and the other guitarist were muted. Eventually, the aisles were cleared and power restored.
The second show I attended was Jimi’s last in Seattle. It was on July 26, 1970, at Sick’s Stadium in Rainier Valley. Sick’s Stadium was a minor league baseball stadium for the Seatle Rainiers. Emile Sick owned the Rainier Brewing Company and the baseball team. The stadium was used for the Seattle Pilots for one season, 1969, before the Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers.
But on occasion, the stadium was used for concerts. Coincidently, Jimi Hendrix saw Elvis Presley play at Sick’s Stadium when he was young.
On this July day, there was a semi-Woodstock vibe and a long line of psychedelic bands that played all day, with Hendrix as the final act. Even though it was the end of July, it rained all day. I don’t remember the rain being that bad but reports online say it poured hard. Of course, my memory may have been impaired.
I do remember Hendrix taking the stage late in the day. He was dressed like a peacock and strutted onstage to the delight of the hometown crowd. He had spent the day with his family in the Seward Park neighborhood in South Seattle. He said his parents tried to get him high on scotch, “you know, like in the 1940s.” Then he added, “But they’re alive and that’s where its at.”
That last comment stayed with me, probably because it was about seven weeks later that Hendrix died. He was 27 when he died on September 18, 1970.
His funeral service was held in a tiny church across the street from Rainier Beach High School, which I attended. I was in class but some friends who weren’t claim they saw Eric Clapton, George Harrison and other famous musicians coming out at the service.
Jimi Hendrix’s grave is at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton.
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