Jimi Hendrix Memorial

Famed musician and scarf-fanatic Jimi Hendrix died on September 18, 1970 after overdosing on prescription drugs, and the beloved artist was buried in a simple family grave in the same Washington cemetery as his mother. However, this simple burial did not satiate his family, fans, or the rock and roll gods.

After Hendrix’s death his father, Al, had his son buried in a section of Greenwood Cemetery set aside for the family. In life, Jimi had been a man of no great means and his burial site was a simple grave that seemed incongruous with the musician’s legacy. Nonetheless, the unremarkable headstone became a magnet for his legions of devoted fans passing through Renton.

With the constant traffic and Al’s continued wish to create a memorial befitting his son’s remarkable life, it quickly became apparent that the small marker would not suffice permanently. However, it was not until Al finally regained the rights to his son’s musical catalogue in 1995, that plans began in earnest for an expansion of Hendrix’s monument. Over the next few years, the marble gazebo that can be found today was built and Jimi’s body was finally reburied beneath it in 2002.

The memorial consists of a stone dome held up by a trio of pillars. Within the monument is an etched portrait of Hendrix alongside frescoes of some of his lyrics as well as the original headstone, which has been remounted. The family plots now surround the memorial which is also fitted with a stone sundial just outside the entrance.