Thankfully, my local classic rock station plays Jimi on a regular basis, probably even daily.

IMO - if one has to listen to the radio it might as well be classic rock! The other stations are just top 40 crap over and over again.

Interesting point. I never thought about that. Lack of music education in the black schools could contribute to the decline of music knowledge in our community. But, these kids have something I never had in High School...Youtube. Nowadays, if you have the internet, there is NO excuse for lack of knowledge on anything music related. You can check out almost any artists on Youtube...except for Prince!

Jimi is definitely loved by his own people and of course many of us have one way or the other listened to rock music. I grew up with musicians that lived in the areas where I grew up that played rock music and they were Black. I also wouldn't use the fact that just because some black radio stations don't play Jimi's music, mean Jimi's own people didn't love him. That would be a bit harsh to imply,

That would be misleading. Jimi's music was played on mostly rock and pop stations because of the "type" of music he played.. Prince's music can't really be put into on category which is why many black stations played a lot of Prince's music as well as white stations

You would find more of Prince's "rock" tunes played on stations defined as rock/pop and his r&b/blues type tunes played mostly on black stations. Radio stations playof music of artists on their stations depending on the audience that are attracted to the type of music they play, which is obvious, but no, I cannot say that Black people didn't honor Jimi. As a matter of fact my very young 19 year old male cousin, who lives in Virginia, was sporting a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt because he is a fan of Jimi's music, so I can honestly say that even generations later, Jimi is loved by his people. Just because a radio station that mostly focuses on r&b music and doesn't play Jimi, doesn't mean they have no love for him, many well-known, established artists around Jimi's era and after, who made and still make reall music, can't even get their music on many stations today either, so I can't really say that just because you don't hear Jimi on black radio, doesn't mean they have no love for him.
[Edited 9/5/08 11:14am]

I remember years ago (late 80s or early 90s),Spike Lee directed a music video for Fishbone.He made a comment about how blacks should support acts that are "different" and even went on to say something to the effect of "We (blacks) shouldn't only support artists who sound like Bobby Brown".He was pissed that blacks don't listen to music that is more alternative and different.

I've always been frustrated by that theory by some that Rock Music is considered "White Music". I have even been asked by some black people while I was listening to Jimi Hendrix, "Why are you listening to that white rock shit?".

Why is it that B.E.T., a supposed "Black Entertainment" station, doesn't pay homage to a Legend Like Jimi Hendrix? Because he didn't do the typical R&B music, is he not considered Black enough? Why have people been so programmed to think that all Black people are supposed to play is Hip Hop or R&B? In all the years I have watched B.E.T. I have never once seen a Jimi Hendrix Video on that station.

None of the Black Radio stations in my area ever play Jimi Hendrix. Not even on the Old School stations. Why is this? He is perhaps the most influential Guitarist ever. Yet they will play an Eminem song before will they play a Jimi Hendrix song. This is Blasphemy.

Every now and then I will hear Purple Rain on the Radio or even see a Prince video on B.E.T. Is Prince considered more Black than Jimi?


Has anybody else ever wondered why Jimi isn't even Championed by his own people?

(I know some on this site Love Jimi. So this stereotype doesn't include you guys. You know who you are.)

But he was wrong. I learned about Fishbone through other black people... The same applies for most of the artists I mentioned in my previous post.

Exactly. The younger black generation in NY are into a lot of afropunk/electrock, (according to my nieces and their friends). They like new groups like J*Davey, Heavy, Game Rebellion, KUDU, just to name a few. I do wish people would stop generalizing what type of music we like, as though we all like the same type of music. We are all individuals and cannot be lumped into liking or listening to form of music, that's just plain ignorant for anyone to think that, especially when we have so many musicians/artists playing all types of music.

As individuals, we have never just liked one type of music, and quite frankly people need to stop judging us by what type of music they hear on these so-called Black radio stations. Those stations do not speak for me or the kinds of music I like to listen to. If the station advertises as r&b, then it will only play r&b, but that does not necessarily mean the music they play is the voice for all Black Americans. If you listen to a Caribbean station that plays "Caribbean music" then that's what you will get, doesn't mean the music they play speak for all Black people's taste in music or even for all Caribbean people. It's just one form of music that's part of various cultures within our race as a whole....and yes, many of us embraced and still embrace Jimi's music and see him as an icon. People shouldn't think we don't just because you don't hear his music on a station that specifically focuses on r&b music and not rock music, by black musicians that play rock. You will find Jimi's music played moreso on a station that specializes in playing "rock" music in the various forms it comes in.