Free Republic

[SNIP] The jacket I’m wearing now is Royal Army Veterinary Corps, 1898 I believe. Very good year for uniforms. The other night I was about half a block away from the Cromwellian Club, wearing this gear. Up comes this wagon with a blue light flashing, and about five or six policemen jump out at me. They look into my face real close and severe. Then one of them points to my jacket and says, “That’s British, isn’t it?” So I said, “Yeah, I think it is.” And they frowned and all that bit, and they said, “You’re not supposed to...

The author, Beckley, says, "I can't say in all honesty that I really knew Jimi Hendrix, but I did see him give a number of really good performances. It was at one of those post- Woodstock concerts where I managed to wind my way backstage. Jimi Hendrix was leaning up against a wall of amps and speakers. As I walked past him, we both just kind of nodded as if we recognized each other, and to this day I can swear I heard him ask me, 'and what planet are you from pal? Jimi expressed a great interest in matters...

On Monday I wrote a bit about President Obama’s now semi-notorious “they talk about me like a dog” line that was supposedly improvised during a speech in Milwaukee. As it turns out, some intrepid researchers are speculating that Obama might have been channeling a line from the Jimi Hendrix song “Stone Free.” I was skeptical at first, but it kind of makes sense, because another line in that song is “I got to, got to, got to get away” — perfect for somebody who just came off several weeks worth of vacations.

What could possibly add to the enormity of Jimi Hendrix’s music legacy in 2009 — 39 years after the still-ruling sonic genius of electric guitar departed the planet? How about an entirely new and unprecedented Jimi Hendrix guitar model designed by the Authentic Hendrix and Gibson? This astonishing about-to-be-unveiled guitar brand is destined to inspire a new generation of players as well as the legion of musicians already under the influence of Jimi’s magical sound and style. We recently caught up with Janie Hendrix, Jimi’s sister and the president and CEO of Authentic Hendrix — the family-owned companies entrusted with...

Hendrix Bassist Noel Redding Dies By Marcus ErricoNoel Redding , has died. The bassist passed away Sunday at his home in County Cork, Ireland, according to his manager, Ian Grant. Grant made the announcement on a message board for , Redding's label. "I can't yet take it in that, once more, I am sitting at my desk bringing sad news. Noel passed away," Grant wrote. The cause of death was not immediately known. Redding was 57. His death reportedly comes just a week after his mother's. Originally a guitarist, Redding converted to bass when he joined with Hendrix and drummer...