A Jimi Hendrix Movie Without Jimi Hendrix Music?

Well, I was excited about the new Jimi Hendrix biopic in which Outkast’s Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) plays the iconic guitarist – that is until I found out that the Hendrix estate is not allowing any original Hendrix music to be played in the movie. Yep, that’s right. There will be no original music in All Is By My Side.

Here’s the official statement that officially ruined the movie:

“Experience Hendrix, LLC, the family-owned company entrusted with safeguarding the legacy of Jimi Hendrix and administrator of the Jimi Hendrix music and publishing catalog, has made it known many times in the past that no such film, were it to include original music or copyrights created by Jimi Hendrix, can be undertaken without its full participation.

For what is arguably the most rock and roll LLC in the universe, this is a very un-rock and roll statement. How the hell is Andre 3000 (who by the way looks very much like Hendrix in the photos I’ve seen of him in character) supposed to play a part like that without singing songs like “Are You Experienced,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” “Hey Joe,” “Foxey Lady” and “Purple Haze?” I was so excited that a talented musician was playing another talented musician but not so much anymore.

Instead, Andre 3000 will be singing covers of songs that Hendrix performed in London between 1966 and 1967 – shortly before the release of his landmark debut Are You Experienced. We will see him singing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (which Hendrix famously performed in a London club with members of the Beatles in the audience), “Wild Thing,” “Hound Dog,” Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” and Elmore James’ “Bleeding Heart,” plus two songs, “Future Trip” and “Driving South,” that Hendrix played as a backup musician for Curtis Knight and the Squires.

Considering I like Benjamin a lot and I think Hendrix is one of the best musicians to ever live I will still see the movie and I hope it will be fun. I just wish it was going to be a bit more authentic and I also with the Hendrix Estate would let Jimi’s music do the storytelling.