Hendrix’s Village: The Places that Inspired a Star

A rock star, a legend, a genius, Jimi Hendrix was one of a kind. He carried a generation and pushed music to never-before-seen, electric limits. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame cites Hendrix as “…the most gifted instrumentalist of all time.”

Born November 27, 1942, to Al Hendrix and Lucille Jeter, hardship and struggle defined Hendrix’s early life, with addiction and arguments perpetually roaming the halls of his childhood home. By his teenage years, Jimi sought solace through music, often seen carrying a broom, strumming the strands trying to mirror the movement of guitar strings. It was quite the humble beginnings for the rock legend: Al gave teenaged Jimi a broken, one-string ukelele he picked out of the trash and, consequently, Jimi spent the latter half of his adolescence dedicated to learning the craft. At 19, Hendrix relocated to Nashville Tennessee where he played backup for major acts like Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, the Isley Brothers, and Little Richard. From there, his music career started to take off and take him around the world. Lucky for us, Hendrix landed in our neighborhood. Here we look at some of the places Hendrix touched with his brilliance—where he lived, played, and hung out—and honor the legacy he continues to leave behind.

Cafe Wha

Hendrix held a short residency at the legendary Cafe Wha in July 1966. It was during his stint on MacDougal when Chas Chandler, of British rock group The Animals, scouted Hendrix and catapulted his career to new heights. Chandler saw Hendrix’s innate genius and convinced him to travel and perform in the UK under his management. And success followed him across the pond. Joined by his newly-formed band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, over the next year and a half three of Hendrix’s songs Hey Joe, Purple Haze, and The Wind Cries Mary reached the top ten in the UK.

Fillmore East

From 1968 to 1971, at 105 Second Avenue at the corner of East 6th Street, sat the legendary Fillmore East. Built in the 1920s, the building originally operated as the Commodore Theater and catered to the neighborhood’s Jewish and Yiddish populations who, at the time, dominated the Lower East Side and East Village. Over the next several decades, ownership fluctuated and Yiddish performance popularity died down, which led to rock promoter Bill Graham taking over to transform the venue into what many call “the Church of Rock and Roll” in 1968. And while the joint was open for only three years under Graham’s eye as the Fillmore East, everyone who was anyone performed on his stage. For two nights a week, every week, the small and unassuming marquee outside seemed synonymous with Rock and Roll’s Hall of Fame, sporting acts like the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Led Zepplin, John Lennon, the Doors, Fleetwood Mac, and, of course, Jimi Hendrix.

One of the venue’s most memorable performances took place on New Year’s Day, 1970 when Hendrix recorded his album Band of Gypsys live on stage. Joined by friends Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums, the trio mesmerized a sold-out, captivated audience with a new experimental set. The show melded amped-up, rock-and-roll guitar riffs with a blues tone—a sound Hendrix continued to follow until his untimely death just nine months later.

On June 27, 1971, the Fillmore East closed its doors for good; the music industry was rapidly moving in the direction of amped-up stadiums and sprawling festival grounds. Subsequently, Graham’s 2,600-person capacity theater could no longer compete and the rock promoter moved on to more profitable ventures.

Electric Lady Studios

In 1968 Hendrix, alongside his then-manager, Michael Jeffery, bought The Village Barn (an old Greenwich Village nightclub) with plans to transform it into a groovy, psychedelic recording studio. Located at 52 West 8th Street, the construction of Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios took about double the anticipated time and was not finished until 10 weeks before his death. Even so, music legends like Eric Clapton and Patti Smith joined Hendrix for the studio’s grand opening on August 26, 1970. Smith remembers Hendrix describing his vision for Electric Lady, relaying his dream of musicians, from around the world, coming together to create a form of magic: “It didn’t matter what key or tempo or what melody, they would keep on playing through their discordance until they found a common language. Eventually, they would record this abstract universal language of music in his new studio.”

The studio still flourishes today—over the past 50-plus years, Electric Lady was the recording studio of choice for superstar acts like David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, and, more contemporary acts like Taylor Swift, Adele, and Frank Ocean.

59 West 12th Street

For most of his life, Jimi Hendrix was more of a maverick and nomad than he was a homeowner. Hendrix spent years couch surfing and on the road touring, not one to settle anywhere long term—except for his pre-war apartment located at 59 West 12th Street (as far as we understand, that’s the only lease Hendrix ever signed). After his groundbreaking Woodstock set, Hendrix found roots in the village in the Fall of 1969.

While his life ended abruptly when Hendrix died at just 27 years old, not even tragedy can mar the legacy he left behind. His spirit is deeply embedded in the streets, venues, and studios of the Village, where his stardom forever altered the landscape of music. From his early days at Cafe Wha to his groundbreaking performances at the Fillmore East and his visionary Electric Lady Studios, Hendrix’s impact continues to resonate, shaping the world of rock and roll for generations to come.