10 minute read
JIMMY HENDRIX
JOE ROSIGNOLO& FoundationJIMI HENDRIXthe
by Anthony Ewart
The world mourns the loss of Eddie Van Halen. A Guitar God has left us. I can only hope that a Foundation is set up to honor his legacy. The blueprint for such a wonderful Foundation exists now in honor of another magnificent Guitar God: Jimi Hendrix.
Jimi Hendrix was an Artist who has left his fantastic musical impression upon the world. He joined the old world of blues with the emerging sound of rock and united the world in his discovery. Like Gustav Mahler or Claude Debussy he believed the music he heard in his mind. And like any great Artist, he helped us hear this music and love it as much as he did.
The music of Jimi Hendrix is with us forever...but only because it is cared for and looked after. This is the story of the Jimi Hendrix Foundation, which owns the rights to the "Name, Likeness and Signature of Jimi Hendrix." This is the story of the unsung Heroes making sure that we never forget Jimi Hendrix and the glorious music he shared with the world. Why was it so important for Jimi Hendrix to "share his music" with the world? Because Jimi Hendrix honestly and earnestly cared about people. Helping better their lives. Jimi Hendrix was as compassionate and generous to those in need as he was talented. The Jimi Hendrix Foundation, at its core, carries on this spirit of "giving back" that was so important to Jimi.
We begin with Joe Rosignolo, the President-CEO of the Jimi Hendrix Foundation. As a 7 year old growing up in Rochester NY in 1960 he was surrounded by music, culture and history. Rochester NY is the home of George Eastman, Susan B Anthony, Jay Silverheels (Tonto) Rochester Philharmonic, Cab Calloway, Mitch Miller and Chuck Mangione. Joe used to walk to Mangione’s bakery quite often.
Joe Sr. was a Rock and Roller. He had a Pompadour and listened to all the greats of the day: Elvis, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley. Little Joe had access to every record imaginable in every style and genre of artists. Of course because of Joe's Sicilian ancestry he listened to all the Italian greats: Dean Martin, Al Martino, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Vale and Louis Prima. Joe's dad loved the guitar music Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy, Al Caiola, Vinnie Bell and Los Indios.
One life changing day in 1960 Joe's mom brought home a record by The Ventures called "Walk Don't Run" and when Joe heard that guitar sound, in his own words, this is what followed:
“The sound of their guitar struck the proverbial chord within my being. I actually felt the notes in my chest. I immediately picked up my mothers “Spanish “ guitar, a blonde Gibson with F holes and was glued to the record player practicing for hours and hours a day. I realized then that a guitar had a voice, larger than life and yet very personal. I’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT THE VENTURES’ INSTRUMENTS SOUNDED LIKE BEAUTIFUL VOICES AND THE BEATLES VOICES SOUNDED LIKE BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENTS. “
The reason Joe dwells on the Ventures so much is because they helped shape his appreciation for the quality and tone of Rock and Roll, music production and professionalism, and the confidence and ability to share and teach songs to friends.
Joe used to sit on his front porch on Portland Avenue playing guitar and older guys would come from all over the neighborhood and ask him how to play a song. He was 10 they were 18. He was one of those crazy kids who could pick out similarities in songs. “If you know one,” Joe says, “You know several dozen. I can tell of at least 10 Beatle songs that borrowed influential elements from the Ventures.”
Little did Joe know at the time that all this was a prelude to him “Managing” the Ventures and running the Jimi Hendrix Foundation. During the years following Joe met and became friends with many artists who not only knew and worked with the Ventures but also knew and worked with Jimi Hendrix.
Pat O’Day was an Broadcaster and concert promoter in Seattle who was responsible for really “breaking the Ventures in” who were from there. He played “Walk Don’t Run” as a news kicker on his program which became so popular it was picked-up by Liberty Records and the rest is Ventures history. During the same time a young Jimmy Hendrix (before Jimi) would hang around at the Spanish Castle with a guitar and amp ready to sit in which Pat O’Day let him do on a few occasions. They worked together again when Pat promoted the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Bob Reisdorff was the Ventures’ first producer and after selling his Dolton Record label to Liberty went on to setup Liberty Records UK. The dedication party was a who’s who of rock with everyone there from the Beatles to the Stones and of course sitting next to him --Jimi Hendrix. Bob told Joe that he and Jimi were trying to out order each other buying champagne for everyone.
After taking over the Jimi Hendrix Foundation Joe began to see how many of the people he knew were associated with Jimi and how much of their lives eclipsed in some way or another. “There wasn’t ‘six degrees of separation’ between us,” Joe is known for saying, “It was more like two.” Call it serendipity.
After Jimi Hendrix’s death in 1970, Al Hendrix, the father of Jimi Hendrix, rekindled his friendship with Jimmy Williams, a close friend of his son. The two became very close friends. Because Al was extremely heart-broken over the loss of his son he turned to Jimmy Williams and in one sense lived vicariously through him as the son he had lost. Jimmy made a promise to Al that he would help protect the name and legacy of Jimi Hendrix.
In the 2000s Jimmy Williams was brought in to the Foundation to help “clean it up.” He became President and CEO. The Foundation had just won a legal case against the Estate regarding the Lanham Act trademark, common law trademark and publicity rights, but the Foundation was vexed and troubled by outsiders as well as insiders who absconded with funds and made commercial business deals inside the Foundation for personal gain outside the rules of IRS guidelines for tax exemption.
Being a non-profit, as you know, contrary to popular understanding doesn’t mean you can’t make a profit and accumulate revenues. So Jimmy cleaned house getting rid of everyone and brought in new board members he could trust. People like Charles Hernandez, Gordon Shoji and Dr. David Harris who headed up the University of Arizona Medicine Dept. Other board members were Ian Miller, Stefan Isaac and David Kramer. These members were set in place to help keep out infiltrators and there were several.
Jimmy went on to bolster and add to the initiatives of the Foundation in 2005. He created the Music For Life program, UN Blue Key affiliation and other community related initiatives and sponsorships and held several benefits, but all of this was taking a toll on Jimmy.
A community center leased by the Foundation was vandalized for $30,000 which Jimmy paid for out of his own pocket. Joe knew for a fact that through his years at the Foundation legitimizing it Jimmy paid out a couple hundred thousand of his own money. He was getting tired and was searching for someone to take over. As he told Joe, he couldn’t find anyone honest to run it. He made Joe promise that someday he would find an honest Hendrix.At the time Joe was blending his own brand of Rosignolo Guitar Polish with his son David and eventually he approached Fender and they loved the stuff and soon Joe supplied them with 4 step Fender Custom Shop Polish kits up until they were bought by another business group. That lasted into the first year Joe was at the Foundation. Jimmy brought Joe in first as a Contractor because of his music and business connections and ability to source products and help bring in sponsorships. He also knew that Joe had passion for integrity and honesty and was a stickler for protocol. The board at Jimmy’s request voted Joe in as CEO and then a few months later Jimmy transitioned out because of health issues and he felt that he did all he could to protect and preserve the name of Jimi Hendrix as a charity as he promised his good friend Al Hendrix.
As Jimmy Williams said, “I’m a military man not a business man.” Shortly after Joe was voted in as President.
It seems that lightning struck three times in Joe Rosignolo’s life ….Road managing for the number one Rock and Roll instrumental group in the world-The Ventures… Suppling Custom Shop guitar polish to the number one Rock and Roll guitar company in the world-Fender… And now President and CEO of the Jimi Hendrix Foundation the number one rock and roll guitarist of all time.
Realizing the significance of his position and what an honor and privilege it is to be in charge of a Foundation that has such a great worldwide impact, the first task at hand was to bring in a few people that Joe could trust. He asked Tom Hagan to come on as COO. Tom and Joe were good friends and he was a big fan of Rosignolo Guitar Polish.
Terri Haynes, Joe’s Executive Assistant
Terri Haynes, Joe’s Executive Assistant, made the transition from the guitar polish business to the Foundation very easily. Joe is on record saying: “If anyone deserves a paycheck Terri Haynes does. Her dedication and unwavering passion is extremely valuable to the Foundation.
The Foundation has through the years been plagued with people attempting to use us it as a stepping stone for their own personal agendas, advancements and causes and to circumvent the Jimi Hendrix Estate. Joe has had to finally sift out those people. “Our goal,” Joe told me by phone, “And intention has always been to promote our causes in the giving spirit of Jimi as he would have wanted and as his father set out to do.” In October of last year Joe contacted Freddie Mac and they were very helpful and accommodating and gave the Foundation several houses around the country as part of the Foundation’s neighborhood renovation program. The idea is to fix up these homes and create affordable housing for mom’s with special needs children, veterans with disabilities or the displaced and homeless. Joe’s focus is still on the Foundation’s music programs and mission statement, but helping the community in ways that also generates revenue to fund the many Jimi Hendrix Foundation programs helps greatly in addition to their donations.
“Obviously we need funds to renovate these houses, “ Joe told me emphatically, “So the call to action goes out to anyone that would like to donate, grant or otherwise contribute. Because of my background in carpentry and general construction I will begin the process and stay at one of the houses in South Dakota to get it ready and livable. We know that Jimi gave his all in every performance and that has been our goal as well as helping others. We are not afraid to roll up our sleeves as they say. The Jimi Hendrix Foundation is looking forward to working with real legitimate philanthropic people who want to help make a difference.We can’t make it happen without funds and donations.”
With a name as great and well known as Jimi Hendrix the Jimi Hendrix Foundation can help those in need to teach them how to discover and become themselves. Everyone needs a chance to interact and experience life and music is a great healer. As Jimi Hendrix sang, “I got my own world to look through and I ain’t gonna copy you.”
Joe’s other passion with the Jimi Hendrix Foundation is his focus is on autism, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and how music therapy can help. Giving instruments to kids, young adults and schools helps. $5,000.00 buys 100 guitars to give away to kids, $5,000.00 buys 1000 sweaters or jackets to give to the homeless. The Foundation is making a difference and communities are feeling it.
If you would like to help the Jimi Hendrix Foundation you can contact them at 877-IF6WAS9 or contact Joe personally at HeyJoe@JimiHendrixFoundation.org
