NYC street renamed for Jimi Hendrix
NEW YORK - A street in New York City's Greenwich Village is now named after Jimi Hendrix.
A stretch of West 8th Street is now known as Jimi Hendrix Way.
The sign stands outside of Electric Lady Studios, which was opened by Hendrix in 1970 shortly before his unexpected death. It was the only artist-owned recording studio in existence at the time.
"It's temporary today, but let's hope it turns permanent. Nobody deserves a street more than Jimi Hendrix," said musician and actor Steven Van Zandt. "We got Joey Ramone's done, which is great. They even gave my my own street in my hometown in New Jersey. So, if I got a street, Jimi gets a street, that's for sure."
Legends like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones have recorded there. Superstars like Taylor Swift still record hits there. Musician and super producer Jack Antonoff was spotted there Thursday.
"It was a wonderful studio, really state of the art. I've worked in there many times," Van Zandt said.
New Documentary Showcases Hendrix And Electric Lady Studios
The street renaming comes ahead of the release of a new documentary about Jimi Hendrix and the studio called "Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix vision," and is produced by Jimi's sister Janie Hendrix.
"To be able to show the documentary about how he built it, and his vision, and his dream, and his sanctuary that came to fruition, and the muse that still exists for the artists of today, is an amazing feeling," she said.
The documentary premieres a few blocks away at the Quad Theater Friday night.