Unfinitely OT: Jimi Hendrix didn't like Michigan

Submitted by blue95 on

Forgive me if most of you have no idea who Jimi Hendrix is, I'm old.

But I'm watching the Band of Gypsies concert film tonight (the album edited a lot of stuff out) and for the first time I noticed this line from Jimi (must've skipped over the speaking bits all the other times I watched it):

"Oh yeah right now I'd just say, uh, congratulations to the uh...what do you call that, Southern California Trojans, I'm so glad they beat the hell outta Michigan.  I'm very glad."

But then, that might have had something to do with the Detroit riots of the day.

Still love Jimi, but ouch.

96goblue00

May 13th, 2012 at 11:32 AM ^

He grew up in Seattle, if I am not mistaken. So if he did follow college football, it makes sense that he followed the west coast teams. I am not sure how much of a fan he was of the game. The statement seems sort of off-the-cuff but, if anything, he is just showing love to his coast. I don't think he "hated" Michigan. Even if he did, I am still keeping all my Jimi stuff.

OT- interesting fact....

Hendrix's first gig was with an unnamed band in the basement of a synagogue, Seattle's Templ De Hirsch. Crazy, no? Can you see Jimi tearing it up in a house of worship? Granted, when he started out playing he was not exactly playing the same psychadelic rock that he was at Monterey. 

Wolverine Devotee

May 13th, 2012 at 12:17 PM ^

Oh yeah? Well.......reggie bush never existed and usc didn't play football in 2004!

So there! I just NCAA'd him.

Bobby Digital

May 13th, 2012 at 12:18 PM ^

Can't this be pro-USC without being anti-Michigan? I was glad, very glad, when Michigan beat the hell out of Nebraska, but that doesn't mean I have anything against Nebraska.

BlueWolverine

May 13th, 2012 at 12:35 PM ^

Sammy Hagar is to Jimi Hendrix like Ryan Leaf is to Tom Brady.

Seriously, there are only a few instrumentalists of the 20th century who transformed their instrument, Monk, Coltrane, Hendrix, Jaco

One of my biggest regrets was not going to see Jimi when I was in high school and he was playing in Detroit.

931 S State

May 13th, 2012 at 1:01 PM ^

Yeah I've always laughed at that part of the concert.  Constant reminder that M lost the 1970 Rose Bowl.  Great concert though.  Hendrix was at his best with Band of Gypsies.  Wish he lived long enough to record more with Cox and Miles.

mgobleu

May 13th, 2012 at 1:17 PM ^

Ok, that's all i need to hear. If I ever pass him on the street, I'll definitely give him a harsh rebuke. Why, I'm so cross, I'd take his mother out for a nice steak dinner, and never call her again! The nerve. Shame on you, Jimi. SHAME. .

Bando Calrissian

May 13th, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^

Jimi was actually a really big sports fan as a kid, and spent a lot of time drawing sports uniforms off of TV broadcasts.  Living in Pac-10 (er, Pac-8?) country, he surely would have been rooting against the Big 10 in the Rose Bowl.

Some of his sports drawings have even made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland:

uminks

May 14th, 2012 at 2:26 AM ^

In the mid 50s into the early 60s Michigan was beating the PAC 8 like a drum. 1960: Michigan 21 - Oregon 0. 1953: Michigan 50 - Washington 0. 1954: Michigan 14 - Washington 0 @ Washington and so on!

All of Hendrix favorite teams were beaten up by Michigan when he was a kid growing up in WA. He must have been so down, it turned him away from football and to playing the guitar growing up as child and teenager. He probably had the angst against Michigan that the little 8 of the big 10 had against Michigan in the 70s!

I still enjoy Hendrix's guitar rifts and songs! I won't hold it against you Jimi!

snarling wolverine

May 13th, 2012 at 9:42 PM ^

But then, that might have had something to do with the Detroit riots of the day.

Huh? I don't follow at all.

Almost every big city in America experienced race riots at some point or another between 1965-68. Why would he specifically hate Detroit over this (and why would this be extended to U-M football?).