Washington’s second book, Jimi Hendrix – Black Legacy (A Dream Deferred), goes even deeper, featuring interviews with dozens of Hendrix associates, family members, and enthusiasts, as well as detailed analyses of the multiple strands of Hendrix’s unique artistry. “How Jimi Hendrix (May Have) Influenced ‘A Day In the Life'” His study of this puzzling disconnect led him to write his first book, Nobody Cages Me (2010), examining his own personal discovery of Hendrix’s genre-defying music. Author Corey Washington sees this as a massive cultural misstep that has not only shortchanged Jimi’s legacy but has denied the Black community one of their rightful icons. Yet despite his rich musical vocabulary and his own heritage as a Black American, Jimi Hendrix has been primarily marketed to white audiences as a “rock” musician. Besides redefining the sound of the electric guitar, his music encompassed a multitude of sounds and colors: he was a devout disciple of the blues tradition, his early sideman years grinding out one-nighters with the likes of the Isley Brothers and Little Richard left an indelible stamp of R&B and soul, and he was also a fearless improviser who reached for the sonic terrain of jazzers like Albert Ayler or John Coltrane (and notably gained the ongoing admiration of Miles Davis).

From the moment he exploded onto the international music scene in the mid-1960s, Jimi Hendrix was a visionary creative force whose influence can still be felt to this day.

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