A custom-made patchwork coat belonging to Jimi Hendrix – whose sense of style was exceeded only by his guitar playing – will be exhibited at the National Museum of the American Indian.

The Washington Post’s Reliable Source column has the story here:

Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix was proud of his Native American heritage, his sister says. (File photo)

Say the name Jimi Hendrix and you think: Rock star. Woodstock. Crazy costumes. Greatest electric guitar player ever.

But his sister Janie and the National Museum of the American Indian want you to know that part of his great style came from his Native American ancestry. Now 49 and head of Jimi Hendrix’s Seattle-based estate, she brought one of the musician’s custom-made coats and two replica guitars to the museum Wednesday for an upcoming exhibit, “Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture,” which opens in July.

“Having Native American culture is really important to our family,” said Janie, Jimi’s little sister from his father’s second marriage. She’s the keeper of Jimi’s flame, the one who tries preserve the history and family story behind the images.

Jimi, she told us, got his fashion sense from their paternal grandmother, who was part Cherokee, played vaudeville and had a flamboyant collection of feather hats and flashy costumes.

Of the coat, she says, “We’ve been saving this piece for some special exhibit,” she said. “When this request came, it just felt natural.”

Gwen Florio

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