Free Republic

If it weren't for an argument over lumpy mashed potatoes, Jimi Hendrix may never have crafted one of his most famous songs. Kathy Mary Etchingham was an apprentice hairdresser living in London when she met Hendrix in 1966. The two were introduced by Etchingham’s best friend who was dating Eric Burdon, lead singer of the Animals, and the attraction was immediate. The couple lived together for three years: the longest relationship in Hendrix’s short life. But it was a turbulent romance, marked by constant fighting. And one quarrel in particular would lead to one of the most mysterious rock songs...

"Eric how can we begin to thank you...."

I had thought that perhaps the tide was turning on those who glorified Che Guevara as a revolutionary man of the people. I was wrong. Over the weekend Chicago's local PBS affiliate aired a segment of a DVD box set that is being distributed by PBS called The British Beat. The DVD is a retrospective of the British Invasion and features Animals lead singer Eric Burdon donning a giant Che Guevara button down shirt at a 2005 concert where he stumps for PBS on stage. Note that this is a 4 disc box set and PBS could have chosen any...