Jimi Hendrix‘s former central London flat is to be opened up to the public to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his death.
The two-floor apartment at 23 Brook Street will be opened as part of the Hendrix In Britain exhibition, which runs in the same building from tomorrow (August 25) until November 7. The flat itself is open between September 15-26.
Hendrix moved into the flat with his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham in 1968, and spent time there in 1969.
Speaking about the house, which is surprisingly small, Hendrix‘s friend and recording engineer Roger Mayer told NME: “The whole building’s pretty pokey! No, it wasn’t big, but the point is, in London this is central. Bond Street, South Molton Street, [legendary club] the Speakeasy was not far away. You don’t really find many big places around here!”
Sarah Bardwell, Director of the Handel House Museum, explained that the 40th anniversary of Hendrix‘s death was instrumental in his house being temporarily opened for members of the public.
“With the Blue Plaque on the wall outside for Jimi, we’re often asked if people can come and see the space where he lived,” she said, “but we’re just not able to do it usually. So we thought we’d take advantage of having the 40th anniversary by putting an exhibition on.”
She added that the museum staff who currently use Hendrix‘s flat as an office are “going to squeeze into Handel‘s attic” while the exhibition is on.
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