HENDRIX BLOODLINE HISTORY
The Hendrix family ancestors have paved the way for future generations of Hendrix excellence. I think about my great great grandmother, Elizabeth North, being born in 1875 to recently freed enslaved black Americans. She was determined to make a better life for herself and her future offspring. She made decisions that would change the course of the family history. She gave birth to Clarice, pictured above with baby Jimi. Clarice gave birth to Lucille, the mother of my father Leon, and uncle Jimi. I wonder if my great grandmother ever imagined that one of her future grandchildren would become as important to music as Mozart or Beethoven?
On the other side of the family tree, my great grandmother, Zenora Rose, traveled with the Cherokee nation on the Trail of Tears, migrating out of the American south in the late 1800s. She would meet my great grandfather, Bertran Hendricks, who was a successful banker and in the entertainment business. Together, they would travel throughout America and Canada with their Vaudeville show.
Zenora was a trailblazer as she would form dance groups like the Rockettes, but only that it was decades before they were created! They eventually changed the spelling of their name to replace the "cks" in Hendricks, with an "x" at the end. Hendricks became Hendrix.
They would eventually settle in Vancouver BC, Canada, where they expanded their family with several children. My great grandmother Zenora Rose Hendrix co-founded Vancouver's first black church. She also helped form the first black community in Vancouver BC, called Hogan's alley. She worked as a cook for decades in the local restaurant that was the hub of the community. She also cared for her grandsons, Leon and Jimi each summer, taking them in and raising them as her own.
She taught them so much about Native American culture. She taught them so much about the entertainment business. She even taught them how to cook! We enjoy those same Hendrix Family recipes to this day! She is the first black woman to appear on a Canadian stamp. She is also honored with a building named after her. Soon, a street will be named in her honor! I am very proud to be a descendant of such excellence. This was the beginning of the next chapter for the Hendrix Family.
TINA HENDRIX
THE BEGINING OF A LEGEND. Photo By Leon Hendrix
Songs & Guitar Sounds
That Inspired the World
My uncle, Jimi Hendrix, is the GOAT. He is a true genius. There are not that many true geniuses that have shaped music the way Jimi has. I put him in the category of greatness alongside Mozart and Beethoven. His music is known all around the world, from big cities to small villages. People from all walks of life, cultures, locations, and creeds love his message and music. Jimi is a teacher. If you listen to his music, you learn. He's been physically gone from this planet for 52 years, but his spirit and music are still very much alive and well.
Songs & Guitar Sounds
That Inspired the World
He was centuries before his time, if not millenia. He was not like us. He was a special being. He was connected to the universe. He was a true innovator and messenger to the people of the world. His fans are enlightened human beings and are the most dedicated group of individuals on the planet. I've met so many people in my short lifetime that believe that his music preserved their very lives. That is incredible. I continue to hear these stories, from war veterans, to aspiring musicians. Jimi's influence on musicians will continue to inspire them until the end of time.
HEAR THE MUSIC OF JIMI HENDRIX
GENERATIONS OF MUSICIANS LEARN FROM JIMI
The Hendrix Music Academy was created in 2009, by Tina Hendrix, to serve At-risk youth from Jimi’s childhood neighborhoods. Hendrix Music Academy is a Not-for Profit Charity. Hendrix Music Academy has never charged any of the participants or their families for the programs and services they receive. All of the programs are Free to the participants and their families. The Hendrix Music Academy is the only Hendrix related entity being led by a blood relative of Jimi Hendrix. It is ran by Jimi’s niece, Tina Hendrix. The school is located on the first floor of Tina’s home, in Renton, WA. There is a live band room, an orchestra room and a music production studio where the programming takes place. The Hendrix Music Academy is a very special place due to the fact that Jimi’s real family has created it, and that it is located in a real family member’s home. Also, there are not any other music schools in the area that offer all of it’s services for free! In comparison, other music schools in the area are charging a minimum of $60 an hour to teach kids, and are making huge profits off of families. The Hendrix Music Academy has vowed to never charge a penny so that we may be able to serve the most needy and deserving youth from Jimi’s old neighborhoods. There is really no comparison! “As a music school, we rock the hardest and do the most for the community!”