Greenwich Village Honors Jimi Hendrix with West 8th Street Co-Naming

By Bob Cooley

Greenwich Village has never been shy about claiming its literary and musical legends. Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and countless others have left their mark on the neighborhood over the decades. On June 10, another legend was written into the landscape when a portion of West 8th Street was co-named Jimi Hendrix Way, just steps from Electric Lady Studios, which Hendrix founded in 1970.

The dedication drew a crowd that reflected the many worlds Hendrix continues to influence, from politics and education to music and the arts. Among those honoring Hendrix were Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, Janie Hendrix, Stevie Van Zandt, guitarist Vernon Reid, songwriter Valerie Simpson, guitarist Felicia Collins, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and legendary recording engineer Eddie Kramer. Two students participating in Van Zandt’s TeachRock educational program also addressed the crowd.

Before Monterey, Woodstock, and international acclaim, Hendrix was a working musician gigging in the clubs of Greenwich Village. In 1966, he became a regular presence at venues including Café Wha? and Café au Go Go, developing a style that fused blues, rock, soul, jazz, and improvisation into something audiences had never quite heard before.

It was during this period that Hendrix came to the attention of Chas Chandler of The Animals. Chandler recognized the guitarist’s extraordinary talent and persuaded him to relocate to London later that year. Within months, Hendrix’s career would take off, making him one of the most important and influential musicians of his generation.

Stevie Van Zandt, whose TeachRock organization partnered in the educational component of the event, reflected on Hendrix’s enduring impact after the ceremony, “He was a genius that transcended race and genre. He was common ground for so many different types of people, internationally. He was beyond language. He was his own language. I think that’s why he’s so universally loved. That’s why I’m so proud that we’re teaching the lessons of Jimi Hendrix in school systems now. School kids need to learn about Jimi Hendrix, just as they learn about everybody else we teach through rock and roll, from Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson right through to the Beatles and the Stones.

“He’s a big part of that story, and a unique part of it. Out of all the great artists, he stood out as completely unique. That’s why he’s timeless. It wasn’t something you had seen before him, or really since him. He’s totally unique, and we love him.”

That connection became permanent in 1970 when Hendrix founded Electric Lady Studios at 52 West 8th Street. The studio gave musicians greater control over the recording process and quickly became one of the most respected recording facilities in the world. It opened only weeks before Hendrix’s death in September 1970.

More than five decades later, Electric Lady Studios remains active on the same block, attracting generations of musicians while serving as a living reminder of Hendrix’s connection to New York City. Few artists leave behind a physical landmark so closely tied to both their creative vision and their legacy.

The co-naming of Jimi Hendrix Way follows years of advocacy by fans, musicians, preservationists, and elected officials who believed Hendrix’s contributions to New York’s cultural history deserved permanent recognition within the neighborhood where his career accelerated.

Beginning June 10, Jimi Hendrix’s name became part of the geography of Greenwich Village, a neighborhood that helped launch his rise and where a piece of that history endures to this day.