MUSIC WEEK
8 February 2016 by Coral Williamson
Planet Rock will exclusively broadcast live from Jimi Hendrix’s London flat at 23 Brook Street tomorrow, the day before it is set to open to the public.
This will be the radio station’s first outside broadcast as it partners with ‘Handel Hendrix in London’, the organisation dedicated to promoting the diverse musical and cultural heritage of both icons.
Planet Rock’s Wyatt Wendals will present on location on Tuesday, February 9 in a show featuring interviews with key people from the artist’s past, including Kathy Etchingham, his girlfriend with whom he shared the flat in 1968. Wyatt will also meet with acclaimed rock photographer Barrie Wentzell and the PR who convinced Jimi to set his guitar on fire at the Finsbury Park Astoria on March 31, 1967.
The show will be curated with music from Hendrix’s record collection, along with songs from his own back catalogue, throughout the day, plus archive interviews with the legend’s friends and family, including his brother Leon, rock legends Brian May, Tony Iommi, Gary Moore, Geezer Butler and Lemmy.
Planet Rock’s music and content director, Ric Blaxill, said: “Planet Rock is proud to be the official broadcasting partner. Jimi is the very definition of a rock legend and a core artist for the station. We can promise a morning filled with exclusive and insightful content celebrating one of the world’s greatest musicians, live from his Brook Street flat.”
Chosen for an English Heritage Blue Plaque, 23 Brook Street is the only officially recognised Hendrix residence in the world and has been restored to how it was while he lived there. The space also houses a permanent exhibition of the rock star’s life and work.
The programme will air on Planet Rock on Tuesday, February 9 from 10am–2pm with video content available online and via social channels.