The Rise: Hendrix and Seattle 1961-1968
MoPOP’s long-term exhibit Wild Blue Angel: Hendrix Abroad 1966-1970 deep-dives through the key years of Jimi Hendrix’s musical fame, zipping from Swinging London to the Monterey Pop Festival to Woodstock. Before all that, though, came Seattle (woohoo!)—the city where Hendrix was born, raised, and spent the first half of his life before leaving in 1961.
In the few short years while Jimi was away the Space Needle and Monorail went up, I-5 connected Everett to Tacoma, and the Supersonics played their first game. Seattle, like Jimi’s musical genius, was coming into its own.
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Seattle’s own meteoric rise began soon after Hendrix left thanks to the 1962 World’s Fair. During his absence the foundations for nearly every iconic Seattle landmark and institution were laid, and when he returned as an international superstar in 1968 the city we know today had begun to take shape.
Jimi Hendrix with promoter Pat O’Day (center) backstage at the Seattle Center Arena, February 12, 1968. Photographer: Ulvis Alberts. Permanent collection
We hope you’ll come celebrate Jimi’s 81st birthday with us Nov. 18 and check out Wild Blue Angel while you’re here. Until then, we pulled together this side-by-side timeline of fun facts to show just how much Seattle and Jimi Hendrix came into their own over these seven extraordinary years.
| SEATTLE | HENDRIX |
| 1961 | 1961 |
|
Apr 6: Monorail groundbreaking ceremony. Apr 17: Space Needle groundbreaking ceremony. |
May 31: Nineteen-year-old James Marshall Hendrix (later Jimi) enrolls in the Army, leaving his family in the Central District and friends from Garfield High School. |
| 1962 | 1962 |
|
Apr 21: Century 21 World’s Fair opens. Space Needle, Monorail, and much of Seattle Center have been built for the occasion. |
Leaves army; moves to Tennessee. Plays club backup for Wilson Pickett, Slim Harpo, Sam Cooke, Ike & Tina Turner, others. |
| 1964 | 1964 |
|
Aug 21: The Beatles make Seattle third stop on their first world tour. Friends of the Market formed to protect Pike Place Market from redevelopment. |
Records a single and tours with the Isley Brothers. |
| 1965 | 1965 |
|
I-5 completed from Seattle to Everett. ACT Theater founded. |
Records a single and tours with Little Richard, including Hendrix’s first TV appearance. |
| 1966 | 1966 |
|
Boeing wins contract to build super-sonic transport (SST). |
Moves to New York City’s Greenwich Village, then London in late September. Forms the Jimi Hendrix Experience. A week after arriving meets Eric Clapton and joins Cream onstage. Six weeks later performs at London’s Bag O’ Nails nightclub with Clapton, Lennon, McCartney, Jagger, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend in audience. Six weeks after that “Hey Joe” enters UK charts, reaching #6. |
| 1967 | 1967 |
|
I-5 completed from Seattle to Tacoma. Seattle Supersonics play their first game. |
Debut full-length album Are You Experienced? releases in UK early May, reaches #2 in the charts. Sets guitar on fire at Monterey Pop Festival June 18. Second album, Axis: Bold as Love, released December, peaks at #5 in UK charts. |
| 1968 | 1968 |
|
Voters approve bonds to build Kingdome, Seattle Aquarium, area highways. |
Axis: Bold as Love hits #3 in US charts. Feb 12: Performs homecoming concert at Seattle Center Arena. |
Acetate recording of “Hey Joe” / “Stone Free”, November 1966. Acetates are fragile discs made of aluminum, coated in lacquer, and encoded with audio via a cutting lathe. Jimi Hendrix may have had this copy made after a recording session to listen to the songs at home. MoPOP permanent collection.
Plan your next visit to MoPOP! We hope to see you at Jimi Hendrix's 81st Birthday Celebration November 18th.