A "Correction" in the Renton Reporter struck me as funny yesterday, since it goofed-up as much as it corrected, and it didn't even make that much sense. The correction was appended to this story .

Here is a cut-and-paste of the correction

CORRECTION

A Renton Reporter story published on Friday and appearing on RentonReporter.com reported that, according to Michael Mycon, the information and retail center he proposed for the Hendrix house would benefit the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation, run by Leon Hendrix.

However, the CEO of that foundation, James E. Williams, said Friday in response that Leon Hendrix is no longer involved with the foundation and that the proposed information center would not benefit the foundation, Mycon, a Hendrix fan, said that is "absolutely incorrect." According to Mycon, a federal court judge in 2005 ruled that the foundation and any use of Jimi Hendrix's likeness are under the control of Leon Hendrix, who is Jimi Hendrix's uncle.

(END OF CORRECTION)

There are several problems with this correction. First, even though the correction says Leon Hendrix is not associated with the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation, Leon Hendrix is in fact the founder and "President Emeritus" of the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation. This can be seen in the foundations mission statement here . However, the house project would not directly benefit the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation because the current owner of the house, Pete Sikov, is no longer associated with the charitable foundation. It was home's owner Pete Sikov, not Leon Hendrix, that left the Jimi Hendrix charitable foundation. Additionally, the use of Jimi Hendrix image was ruled on in 2005 as mentioned in the correction--that part is right; but image and all commercial rights were determined to be the primary property of Leon Hendrix's estranged sister and the official Hendrix estate she manages, Experience Hendrix LLC, as can be seen in the licensing page of their website here. Leon Hendrix did emerge from the court battles with a very narrowly limited ability to use Jimi Hendrix image for charitable purposes for his foundation, but it is misleading to say that "any use of Jimi Hendrix likeness (is) under the control of Leon Hendrix." Finally, the correction says that Leon Hendrix is an uncle to Jimi Hendrix, when he is actually a full brother. So, a lot of errors and confusion in a few sentences that were intended to be a correction.

This "correction" really just serves to illustrate how confusing the relationships have become in the Jimi Hendrix family, and within the fan and business base left behind by the guitar genius.

I truly made an effort to understand these relationships and the court rulings while our zoning officials dealt with the saga of the Jimi Hendrix house. And as I've covered in earlier blogs (which you can access on the Jimi Hendrix tag below), the relationships and partnerships had become so strained that the options for the house seemed to disappear.

I wish Pete Sikov well as he works to preserve the disassembled house until a clear direction emerges--may he find a way to honor the Jimi Hendrix legacy and also hopefully get some of his money back. I also wish Leon Hendrix all the best as he performs his own music and promotes the charitable foundation in his brother's name. I am grateful for the time I got to spend with Jimi Williams, Jimi Henrix's childhood friend and the current manager of Leon Henrix's "Jimi Hendrix Foundation", and I hope he can grow the foundation as he plans.

And this final thought to those fellow Rentonites who, like me, recognize Jimi Hendrix as the prodigy who made the electric guitar what it is today-- it is in Hendrix's sublime and inspired music, not a place he lived, where we will find Jimi Hendrix's soul. If you find yourself missing that old house this summer, hook up your ipod with "Purple Haze" on repeat, lie on your back in the grass, stare at the clouds, and let your mind wander. If anyone comes by to talk to you simply say 'scuse me while I kiss the sky."


Archive photo-- An upbeat ribbon cutting in June 2006, when the house was placed on its new foundation in the Mobile Home Park

It's estimated that approximately 50,000 people per year visit Jimi Hendrix gravesite at Greenwood Cemetary, arriving from all over the world. As Jimi's birthday approaches, here is some more information to help remind you of the impact Jimi Hendrix had on rock, and on the Seattle area. .)

Historic news video from the day of Jimi Hendrix's passing...a must see...click here

A video showing the Jimi Hendrix Memorial and burial site at Renton's Greenwood Cemetary..click here

Jimi live at Woodstock...click here

Jim Hendrix performs Purple Haze...click here

RollingStone magazine article announcing new Jimi Hendrix memorial in Renton...be sure to click on some of the links on this page

( Read the recent Renton Reporter Story about Jimi Hendrix )

I visited with the team working on the Jimi Hendrix house yesterday, across the steet from the Jimi Hendrix memorial at Greenwood Cemetary. The Jimi Hendrix Foundation has saved Jimi's boyhood home from destruction, by finding a permanent site for it in Renton. They will restore it, and incorporate it into a museum and music store, and they have some exciting landscape plans in work.

I was very impressed by the group's spirit and dedication to this work, and I can not believe that the city of Seattle let this treasure get away from them.

Here are a couple shots of the celebration yesterday.






The Jimi hendrix Memorial, across the street at Greenwod Cemetary....