Jimi Hendrix’s appearance at the Isle of Wright Festival in 1970 was memorable for several reasons. It has become known as one of the most electrifying performances ever given. Hendrix set his guitar on fire at the end of his set and that image is forever burned into the annals of music.
The 1970 festival on the island just south of England drew a crowd of more than 600,000 people, surpassing even that of Woodstock which took place a year earlier. It forced the British Parliament to pass the Isle of Wight Act which required any future promoter to obtain a special permit to hold an event on the island for more than 5,000 people.
Jimi Hendrix’s immortal status as one of the best guitarists of all time was fulfilled when he died less than three weeks after that riveting performance.
With this well written page of history in mind, former Beatle Paul McCartney graced the festival over the past weekend. He offered a heartfelt tribute to the man who will forever be associated with this event.
During a 27-song set that included hits from throughout his long and illustrious career, Sir Paul took a moment to invoke Hendrix. He performed Purple Haze, the first song from Jimi Hendrix’s debut album.
McCartney wanted to share with the crowd how lucky he felt to have the chance to know Hendrix. He shared with fans: "I was really lucky to know Jimi and hang out with him a little bit in the 60s, he was a great guy. The biggest tribute we had from him was we (The Beatles) released Sgt. Pepper on a Friday and then I went to see him on the Sunday and he learned it; how cool was that for me? Very cool!"