Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Purple haze all in my brain; Lately things just don't seem the same; Actin' funny, but I don't know why; 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky - Jimi Hendrix "Purple Haze"

September 18,

Kiss The Sky Day
Johnny Allen Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington, on November 27, 1942. Four years later his parents would change his name to James Marshall Hendrix, or as the world would soon know him, Jimi Hendrix. At the age of fourteen Jimi had the good fortune of seeing Elvis in concert, we all had the good fortune that he was immediately inspired and would get his first electric guitar the following year. Music would become a refuge to Jimi as his parents divorced and his mom later died of cirrhosis of the liver. 
After dropping out of school in 1959, Jimi played with several local bands, his first formal band was The Velvetones, then he would later join The Rocking Kings. During this time Jimi ran into some trouble with the law and was given the choice between prison and the army, Jimi chose the later. After being honorable discharged in 1962, the future legend would start the wheels in motion towards his destiny. He would play back up for the likes of great talents such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and The Isley Bros. In 1966,  Chas Chandler, a former member of the Animals, became his manager. He would convince Jimi to go to London and join forces with musicians Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell to create The Jimi Hendrix Experience.  While in London Jimi gathered a following among the rock royalty of the area, The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton all became fans of the up and coming talent.
 In 1967, The JHE released their first track, Hey Joe, which was an immediate hit. Jimi would continue to grow from there with hits such as Purple Haze, and The Wind Cried Mary. The band would follow up with two more equally successful albums, before splitting up in 1969. That same year Jimi would play the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock, which would go down in history as one of the best renditions ever. Jimi would not only mesmerize fans with his music, but he was one of the greatest showmen around, playing the guitar with his teeth, behind his back and at least once setting the guitar on fire. 
Jimi Hendrix, who is considered the greatest electric guitarist in music history, died of a drug overdose on September 18, 1970. At only 27 years old he had managed to change music forever.
Today we celebrate a rock legend who left us too soon...even castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually.


Purple Haze
Truly there is no drink more appropriate today!
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Vodka
.5 oz. Blue Curacao
Cranberry

Directions:
This beauty can be done as a shot, martini or a high ball. It's dealer's choose. For the shot use a splash of cranberry, for the martini about .5 oz, and for the high ball top off the glass.
Mix all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and strain into either a:
Shot Glass
Martini Glass
Highball filled with ice
I would kiss a lot more than the sky for one of these! Muah!
 


I'm the one that has to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life, the way I want to. 

- Jimi Hendrix



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