The Janie Hendrix Experience

On September 18, 1970 at the ripe old age of twenty-seven the world lost Jimi Hendrix, arguably the most incredible rock-n-roll guitar prodigy ever. Jimi died almost broke, a victim of the "same old story" music business bullshit. He was the antithesis of the artist that was only interested in making "the music in my head", the record company peons be damned! Luckily for the corporate slime that always oozed its shadow behind Hendrix, Jimi was a genius when it came to music. A genius that still stands unequaled.

His guitar playing, performance style, and innovation were unparalleled. The sums of money Hendrix brought in were staggering for those times. He was reported to have been paid $30,000.00 to play at Woodstock, the highest sum paid to any artist to date in 1969.

Of course Jimi saw little of the vast sums of currency and died with no will and an incredible trove of unreleased material. This meant an enormous windfall was in store for whomever could regain the rights to release (and get paid for) Jimi's work. The shitstorm that transpired lasted for years and when the leftovers finally got to the Hendrix family the greed continued completely unabated.

One person of note that makes me want to vomit (I actually want to vomit...) is Jimi's "stepsister" Janie. Janie was no blood relation to Jimi or any other Hendrix for that matter. Janie did not grow up with her older brother and only met him after her mother married Jimi's father, Al Hendrix. It is not known who Janie's father is, but it's sure as hell not Al Hendrix.

That didn't stop little Janie from cozying up to old Al, he needed the help. Al Hendrix was barely able to read and had been in increasingly bad health since the late 1970's. Al Hendrix died in 2002 when he was in the care of little Janie, leaving the management of Experience Hendrix, LLC up to Janie and a cousin of Jimi Hendrix, Robert Hendrix.

Besides Janie and Jimi's younger brother, Leon, there were seven other beneficiaries and companies poised to inherit monies from "Experience Hendrix,LLC". It took less than two years before a probate lawsuit was filed that named Janie and Robert Hendrix as the parties responsible for cutting off payments to the other seven beneficiaries.

Soon after Al Hendrix's death the beneficiaries of the trust complained bitterly that they were not receiving payments and the trust was being mismanaged by Janie and Robert. Janie and Robert cried out with excuses like "Al wanted no money to be disbursed before all outstanding financial obligations of the trust had been settled." Well, not to disparage Al, but I kind of doubt Al could spell "disbursed" and I'd also bet my bottom dollar that he didn't give two shits about anyone outside the family getting paid - especially after he died!

Jimi's only relative that he could really relate to, ever, was his younger brother Leon. Although they didn't spend much time together after Jimi left his home town of Seattle they were very close and cared deeply about each other. After Leon was arrested in Seattle Jimi refused to see him in jail, not out of anger but he felt the sight, the reality of it all, could be damaging to all those present.

Jimi was planning on helping Leon get back on his feet, he was also a guitar player, nowhere near his brother's talent, but Leon was hopeful. According to what I've gathered Jimi and Leon were still very close when Jimi died.

While under the care of Janie and Robert Hendrix, Jimi's father Al somehow decided that Leon Hendrix, Jimi's only living blood relative, was no longer worthy of the large inheritance he was about to receive.

Out of the blue Al Hendrix, a man that could barely speak coherently at this point, cut his youngest son off completely. The legal affidavits explained that it was due to Leon's past drug use, demands for money, and threats of litigation as the reasons for denying Leon and his family his inheritance.

In the separate legal claims filed by the other seven beneficiaries the same allegations were made: Janie and Robert were illegally refusing to disburse money to them. This were the same people that stated the money was first and foremost going to settling all outstanding debts of the Hendrix LLC. These same people paid themselves exorbitant salaries, took out large "no interest" loans for themselves, and drove several expensive luxury automobiles. They defended themselves by stating that they were given bad advice from accountants.

Were there three accountants? One fat and bald, one with curly hair, and one (the boss) with a Beatles type haircut? Was the boss named "Moe"?

They looked a judge right in the face and blamed this kind of spending on bad advice from an accountant? Was their accountant also a used car salesman? I've heard some crap in my life, but Holy Shit!

The judge was more than happy to cut off money to a black man that used drugs. After all, just mention the word "drugs" around any type of Police or Judicial personnel and you got yourself an audience - one that's on your side.

It's just like the assholes that cause traffic accidents and, when questioned by the authorities, they blurt out "He was going way too fast!". The cops and courts eat this shit up and take it for gospel when they hear those special words.

So little Janie who was so close to Jimi as to have had only one conversation with him, in an airport, that lasted all of two hours, got Jimi's only brother and his family cut off without a dime.

The "drug use" thing angers me. Wasn't it a black man that took drugs (a lot of drugs) the one that made all this money in the first place? And I can't imagine why Leon was threatening Janie with litigation. I think he might have wanted his fair share for himself and his family. And since when is threatening someone with litigation a negative mark on you during an inheritance "battle". Isn't that what the fuck you are supposed to do? Isn't this the proper legal alternative to having someone slap the shit out of little Janie here?

So Leon Hendrix, Jimi's only living blood relative, has no say whatsoever when it comes to his brothers music. Since the ruling Experience Hendrix, LLC, has released some material that was obviously never approved by Jimi, or any other real Hendrix for that matter.

I just listened to Jimi's new release "Valleys of Neptune" . This recording is living proof that some music should just stay where the creator left it. While it is impossible to ever call Hendrix recordings crap, this is definitely something Jimi would never have let be released voluntarily. Jimi created music in his early twenties that no other musician alive has ever come close to when it comes to pure emotion. This recording falls way short of his perfectionist ways. Jimi would never have let this see the light of day in its current configuration.

Of course it's Janie that now decides what is Jimi's music. Her fortune, said to be worth between 80 and 200 million dollars can't get any fatter if no new music is released. Fuck what Jimi wanted, Janie needs more millions!

You also have to deal with the LLC if you want to use Jimi's music for any type of soundtrack. There are new guidelines for the use of Jimi's music. They can no longer be heard during scenes that depict any type of drug use or reference. We all know how anti-drug Jimi Hendrix was! There was also a footnote used at the end of every new Hendrix documentary or any type of film that states "Jimi had no trace of heroin in his system at the time of his death".

There. That certainly clears that up. Of course Jimi never used heroin! I'm sure the couple of times he was busted for possessing heroin he was completely unaware that it was in his luggage. And I'm sure Tommy Chong is completely full of shit when he told Howard Stern's audience that he had seen Jimi shooting heroin on the floor in a men's room somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. This was a firsthand account by someone with absolutely no reason to disparage his former friend.

Tommy Chong doesn't come across as the "narc" type to me, I can't imagine why...

Janie and this asshole "Thomas Hendrix" do come across as "holier than thou" types. They try to swindle the rightful heirs out of their inheritance because I guess they feel they need all of the money. They then go about trying to change history by rewriting the legend of Hendrix with the hope that the new sanitized version of his music will make them even more money. Maybe they can spend some of that money finishing Jimi's graveside memorial.

Fuck these people. I'll bet Janie Hendrix doesn't even know that the lyrics to "If Six was Nine" are referring to people just like her.

I'd almost like to think Jimi would be rolling over in his grave right now because of this. But I'm sure he'd just shrug, smile and say something really fucking cool. I know that sounds ridiculous and it's pretty bad copy.

But Jimi was pretty fucking cool.




Selah.