Straight From The Heart: Al Hendrix Writes To The Fans

October 6, 1999

Dear Fans:

Many of you may have recently seen or heard news reports about the construction of a memorial in Jimi's honor at Greenwood Cemetery in Seattle.

As I have learned over the years, the best way to speak with you is directly. Because of your love for Jimi and his music I wanted you to understand what I am trying to do for my son.

I have been blessed to see the return of Jimi's legacy to our family. I prayed for the strength to see this fight through and I know that Janie ... Bob Hendrix, other relatives and many other good people we have at Experience Hendrix will continue to keep Jimi's music alive. Nothing could please me more.

With Jimi's music now in good hands, there is one important job left for me to take care of for my family. I have decided to create a memorial for Jimi at Greenwood Cemetery.

A resting-place for a loved one is almost always a private issue dealt with quietly by family members. However, I have always understood that Jimi in some way belongs to his fans and the world.

Understanding this, I recently joined with Greenwood Cemetery to create plans for a beautiful memorial on behalf of Jimi. This is something I always wished I could have done for my son, but I was not able to do so until now. With the creation of this new memorial, I am now able to make sure that there is a place where all my family can be buried together. This brings me great peace.

I have been directly involved with every aspect of the memorial project. Although this project is my responsibility, many fans and friends have asked me over the years if they could contribute to a statue or memorial in Jimi's honor. With this in mind, I have asked the people at Greenwood Cemetery to create a plan where fans could contribute to the memorial if they so choose. I understand that many other private and national memorials have created similar programs to accommodate those who wish to take part and join me.

It is very important for you to know that neither Experience Hendrix nor I will profit in any way from donations made to the memorial project. Your contributions will be used to help make what I hope is a beautiful memorial and lasting tribute to Jimi. Whether you choose to contribute to the memorial project or not you are always welcome to visit Greenwood Cemetery to pay your respect to Jimi. All I ask is that you remain respectful to the other sites in the area.

I hope that in the years to come, both my family and Jimi's fans will find, peace, remembrance, and inspiration from this memorial. I shall continue to embrace all of the other tributes to Jimi throughout the world, but I hope that the memorial project at Greenwood Cemetery will come to be seen as my legacy to Jimi and my family.

Thank you all for your love and continued support of Jimi and my family.

Sincerely,

James A. Hendrix

# # #