Jimi Hendrix Symbolism

Jimi Hendrix The summer of 1969 was in midst of the Vietnam War, a cultural movement rejecting social norms, and transformative genres of music. This summer is also known for the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, a festival attended by over 500,000 people. Jimi Hendrix was one of many other performers there who contributed to the monumental period of change in America. Pete Johnson describes his¬¬¬¬ band’s performance as “magical: the way they looked, the way they performed and the way they sounded were light years away from anything anyone had seen before. The Jimi Hendrix Experience owned the future and the audience knew it in an instant. When Jimi left the stage, he had graduated from rumor to legend” (qtd. in Hopkins). Woodstock was a breakthrough

The counterculture that took place mostly involved the youth, who rejected the support of racial segregation and the Vietnam War, and supported women’s rights, sexual mores, and materialism (“Counterculture”). These people were billed as “hippies” and consisted mostly of white people in the middle class. Several symbols of the counterculture lifestyle of this time include drugs, sexual liberation, art, and new music. In “Summer of Love and Woodstock,” the author notes that, “Throughout the 1960s, music served as an integral part of the counterculture movement. Seen as a way to both embrace an alternative lifestyle and protest against war and oppression, hippies organized outdoor music festivals across the United States” (Johnson). The Woodstock Festival was a place where people of like interests could gather and embrace their own spirituality, equality, and peace. Although to some Americans the event may have seemed like people wanted to rebel against their own country, it was actually a time of growth for American culture. The counterculture movement that was not mainstream at the time eventually made it a cultural norm for Americans to seek world peace and happiness. Hendrix was known for being a supporter of the counterculture. He played music to make others happy, indulged in several types of drugs, and supported the anti-war movement. He is remembered today for his efforts toward the movement by playing for the hundreds of thousands of audience