Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix.
Two titans. Two legends. And never the two shall meet. Or so I thought.
The legacies of these two ground-breaking artists live within American culture like plump fruit born from a withering tree. Their names are immortal, their faces undeniable – these are people who “changed the game” so to speak. They challenged conventions of Hollywood and the music industry, and created defining works that people still look back to analyze, study and respect. Both Enter the Dragon and Electric Ladyland are considered staples or watershed moments, and those who understand still feel the weight of those respected works today. Throughout my life I never really thought to connect the two men, but after the reading I felt a very strong bond between the two. It’s an overstatement to say that these two artists were “gifted”, but I think what they represented meant so much more. Bruce and Jimi were both born on November 27th (two years apart) in America, and grew up through the 40s and 50s. As such, they lived through the defining moments of the 20th century, and being “non-white” meant dealing with the strong racist sentiment of the time. Both Bruce and Jimi are “mixed plates” in terms of heritage, as Bruce’s mother is half-Caucasian and Jimi is mixed Cherokee and African American.
What I find interesting about the journeys of these men is the fact that they had to go “outside the system” in order to achieve success. Bruce tried to make it Hollywood, but like George Takei, found himself confined to roles that weren’t fulfilling and were stereotypical. Instead, Bruce had to go to Asia in order to find that success and through the Hong Kong system helped cement the legacy he has today. Jimi also had to step outside America in order to find his success, as his early triumphs came from playing shows in the UK before releasing his first LP Are You Experienced?. I enjoyed reading about Bruce Lee’s attitude on set and how he always tried to be on the level with the “average people”. He ate with the crew, argued on their behalf and constantly butted heads with the director – Bruce Lee was truly a unique being. You could tell that this is a man who lives by his art and understood the world in a way most didn’t. Because of this and his films, I find that he has been elevated to an almost “folk hero”-like interpretation. The fact that these men died so young only helps to strengthen that legacy or myth, and the idea of what they could have accomplished had they lived on makes it all the more tragic but also further enhances the legend. Because of these similarities, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee are tied together much more than I thought – hell, they’re both buried in Washington. Maybe I shouldn’t mistake fate for coincidence…
