Guitar Shaped Jimi Hendrix Memorial Park To Open Next Year

The Jimi Hendrix Park is set to open in Seattle in 2012.

The 2.5 acre park will honour the city's former resident, opening in the year which would have seen the guitarist turn 70, reports Flavorwire.

The park will be shaped like a guitar and will contain "lyrical stepping stones, rain drums, a sculpted butterfly garden, performance area, sound garden and a green space" as well as a fretboard shaped bridge.

Earlier this year Outkast's Andre 3000 was mooted to take the lead role in a new Jimi Hendrix movie. English actress Hayley Atwell revealed that the singer might star in a biopic alongside herself, about the late guitar legend.

"[I'm] possibly [starring in] a Jimi Hendrix biopic - an independent film with Andre 3000 from Outkast playing Jimi Hendrix," she told Esquire. "But I don't know, really."

The singer, real name Andre Benjamin, has been campaigning for a Hendrix film since 2004, saying that he would like to portray the two sides of the rock star, though no project has ever materialised.

Lenny Kravitz and Hollywood actor Laurence Fishburne have also tried to bring the musician's biopic to life in the past.

Jimi Hendrix died aged 27 in 1970 in London.

Thanks for the report to NME.com.

Comments

[GrungeHippie26]

Here comes the Andre 3000 hate. Ooohhh a rapper! Everybody run!

[lVlaniac]

Finally were gonna have a pilgrimage site so i can go and play Purple Haze at full volume every September 18.

[StillSublime]

Will it be permanently on fire? That would be sick.

[guitartilldeath]

hah, green space.

[theboots]

This is probably my favourite thing any of the Black Eyed Peas has done. And, as much as I would rather see another guitarist play Jimi in a movie, I guess Andre does kinda look like him.

[acade365]

theboots wrote:

This is probably my favourite thing any of the Black Eyed Peas has done. And, as much as I would rather see another guitarist play Jimi in a movie, I guess Andre does kinda look like him.

???

black eyed peas?

[deadlydictator]

Ahh all the rain is no-me gusta to fire

[Paro_metalhead]

theboots wrote:

This is probably my favourite thing any of the Black Eyed Peas has done. And, as much as I would rather see another guitarist play Jimi in a movie, I guess Andre does kinda look like him.

get your facts right you noob, he is from Outkast not black eyed peas!

[andreschr]

GrungeHippie26 wrote:

Here comes the Andre 3000 hate. Ooohhh a rapper! Everybody run!

I thought he was a singer..

[fenderstrattele]

they are gonna do a movie about Jimi Hendrix? this movie better be good, cause if it's done right it could be the best thing in the world(Like the movie 'Ray' about Ray Charles) but if it's done wrong it's gonna be real bad

[PIMO]

theboots wrote:

This is probably my favourite thing any of the Black Eyed Peas has done. And, as much as I would rather see another guitarist play Jimi in a movie, I guess Andre does kinda look like him.

CLEARLY the article said OUTKAST's Andre 3000 not Black Eyed Peas lol

[BluddyBoy123]

Is no one excited about Soundgarden being a permanent staple of the park?????

[mrfinkle213]

Is no one excited about Soundgarden being a permanent staple of the park?????

icwatudidthur

[Pagan_Poetry]

God how could someone confuse the brilliance of Outkast with the bullshit of the Black Eyed Hacks?

Anyways, both the memorial and the movie are great news.

[switch625DL]

Is no one excited about Soundgarden being a permanent staple of the park?????

Yeah, that kind of 'music' should be locked away from public

[jacobstayton1]

This seems great ill have to visit it. I have to say he is one of the greatest songwriters ever.

[fight_the_foo]

The guy was a poet. This park will probably be very inspirational for many young musicians and a great landmark for the Seattle area.

[lefty311]

Andre 3000 is f-ing awesome. The guy's a decent actor to boot. Outkast is unreal, and i don't listen to a whole lot of hip hop.

[shwilly]

BluddyBoy123 wrote:

Is no one excited about Soundgarden being a permanent staple of the park?????

There actually was an art-thingy in Magnusson park called "A Sound Garden" or something like that, which is where SG got their name from

Not really a "tourist magnet" as you can imagine :\

[shwilly]

Actually, it might not be a bad idea to start a place which celebrates the surprisingly rich musical history of Seattle and the American north-west region. I mean, a lot of these theme parks get closed down eventually because there's no real broad and/or lasting appeal to the subject (I'd like to see how many visitors the Harry Potter park is drawing 10-15 years from now...)

Of course you'd make Jimi a focal point, but the Seattle-area is also the place where Nirvana got big (just think of how many suckers make a quick stop at the place where Kurt killed himself)... There's Green River and Pearl Jam, the Pudz, Mudhoney, Queensrÿche, Death Cab for Cutie, Heart, Modest Mouse, Alice In Chains, Tad, Fleet Foxes, Screaming Trees...

It's all about the "experience" you're presenting: musician-based theme parks are no fun if they're nothing but open-air museums (the Seattle weather prbbly wouldn't help, lol): I believe the Irish Music Hall of Fame was closed down for that same reason, which I think is a shame because few countries have produced as many awesome music as Ireland. But go to the Country HOF in Nashville and you'll actually see some performances by relevant country artists. They're both a museum and an educational organization which hosts ceremonies and stuff, I believe they've got their own radio station, etc.

[shwilly]

...also, any word on what happened to that Bourne-trilogy director and his plans to make a Hendrix movie featuring Anthony Mackie as Jimi??

I was actually more excited about that project...

[Schleimwurm1]

well... andre 3000 and big boi were imo not only definitely the best rappers of the past decade, but some of the best allround musicians (check out their solo stuff). and this is from a guy who would name 16 horsepower and wilco as their favorite bands^^
so i am looking forward to that... mos def would have been good too i think

[Drinking-Degs]

Man Im moving to Vancouver BC in january and Seattle is ****ing so close! Fuck that, Im heading straight there when its open and doing ACID! Haha! And of course smoking a few joints!

[Eifler121]

theboots wrote:

This is probably my favourite thing any of the Black Eyed Peas has done. And, as much as I would rather see another guitarist play Jimi in a movie, I guess Andre does kinda look like him.

Best comment of the day

switch625DL wrote:

Is no one excited about Soundgarden being a permanent staple of the park?????

Yeah, that kind of 'music' should be locked away from public

So you haven't heard Soundgarden before, right?

fenderstrattele wrote:

they are gonna do a movie about Jimi Hendrix? this movie better be good, cause if it's done right it could be the best thing in the world(Like the movie 'Ray' about Ray Charles) but if it's done wrong it's gonna be real bad

If they make a good movie, it'll be good, and if they make a bad movie, it'll be bad. Oh Revelations.

Pagan_Poetry wrote:

God how could someone confuse the brilliance of Outkast with the bullshit of the Black Eyed Hacks?

Anyways, both the memorial and the movie are great news.

The Black Eyed Hacks? That is too clever.

BluddyBoy123 wrote:

Is no one excited about Soundgarden being a permanent staple of the park?????

Ha!

[jetfuel495]

I fudging love Andre 3000.

[khakiapple]

does anyone know where specifically in seattle this park will be?

206 represent

[HGS]

Sounds cool. I'll never forgive my parents for leaving Seattle for OKC. Andre 3000 isn't bad, but that Class of 3000 show was TERRIBLE.

[chrtes]

Rapper doesn't understand rock.

[Chronologo]

fenderstrattele wrote:

they are gonna do a movie about Jimi Hendrix? this movie better be good, cause if it's done right it could be the best thing in the world(Like the movie 'Ray' about Ray Charles) but if it's done wrong it's gonna be real bad

yeah and up is up and down is down...

I just hope this place really honors Hendrix's music and doesn't become an image milking stravaganzza

[drummerjmp]

Damn, I would love to see Andre 3000 play Jimi Hendrix. Anyone who just calls him a "rapper" is ignorant. He is a true musician and a poet. Anyone who has truly gotten into Outkast knows this. Even my 65 year old jazz band director in High School was a fan of his.

[Floot]

UG news are getting really bad...

The link from the Esquire quote is dated July 19th 2011.
Then you get this from July 23th http://www.marshallofrock.com/jimi-hendrix-biopic-starring-a ndre-3000-squashed-by-hendrix-estate/
6 months ago... this is not news.

[Floot]

http://www.nme.com/news/jimi-hendrix/60797

The same "news" appeared on NME.com yesterday evening...

[Bananaman1jovan]

When will people get over Hendrix. His music sounds like vietnamese people having their intestines ripped out through their mouths. A glorified druggie who overdosed on his own vomit.

[eljono123]

I agree, the comment about Andre being in BEP is the funniest thing I've seen on UG in a long time lmao!!

He plays guitar riffs on Outkast CD's. he not just some hack that auto-tune sings to synthed samples all day.

[theused101]

GrungeHippie26 wrote:

Here comes the Andre 3000 hate. Ooohhh a rapper! Everybody run!

andre 3000 actually is kinda the man.

[crazywatermelon]

Andre 3000 is actually a pretty great artist in my opinion. He cares about music and how it influences people.

[TimTheWizard]

I like Outkast. They're very good for what you have in rap/hip-hop these days, so yeah give him the part.

Ooh, finally a temple to honour my god!

[Squall249]

Hendrix is so overated.

[SmittyMan90]

Squall249 wrote:

Hendrix is so overated.

Not really, thats like saying The Beatles are overrated, without Hendrix you wouldnt have alot of your favorite guitar players today.

[mjosephw52]

Squall249 wrote:

Hendrix is so overated.

Says somebody who has only heard the songs they play on the radio...take a deeper look into his catalogue. There's a reason he's so revered. Especially listen to his live recOrdings, like Band of Gypsys. Then tell me if he's "overrated".

[teknoman]

All Hail to the Hendrix!... that man put a before and an after on the music history.

[frostyfrizz]

There is already a movie about Jimi Hendix. I watched it the other day! Thats scary. It was pretty good though...

[frostyfrizz]

*Hendrix* Sorry

[xicetraex]

theboots wrote:

This is probably my favourite thing any of the Black Eyed Peas has done. And, as much as I would rather see another guitarist play Jimi in a movie, I guess Andre does kinda look like him.

Best.Troll.Ever.

[bombfighter]

theboots wrote:

This is probably my favourite thing any of the Black Eyed Peas has done. And, as much as I would rather see another guitarist play Jimi in a movie, I guess Andre does kinda look like him.

=.= can't tell if troll, or mentally retarded...

[Expandingmind]

To play a gig at jimi hendrix park.

[Expandingmind]

^Dream now realized...

[chhang]

Andre 3000 is the hendrix of rap and im glad its him playing the role and not lenny kravitz

[Family Reunion]

Sorry if I'm wrong but won't he be 70 in 2013? I don't know when his Birthday is :P

anyways, this'll be sick! Something everyone will remember him by, and new people will learn to know him