Marshall Of Rock

The first photos of Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in the unauthorized story of the legend's life that is currently being shot in Dublin have surfaced. The working title of the movie is  ‘All Is By My Side,’ but Hendrix's recently insisted that they have had no involvement in it. There has also been no permission issued for Hendrix's music to be used as of yet.

The estate released a statement earlier this month stating: "Experience Hendrix, LLC, the family-owned company entrusted with safeguarding the legacy of Jimi Hendrix and administrator of the Jimi Hendrix music and publishing catalogue has made it known many times in the past that no such film, were it to include original music or copyrights created by Jimi Hendrix, can be undertaken without its full participation."

Check out a photo gallery of Andre 3000 as Hendrix here: www.entertainmentwise.com

Despite the estate's not giving access to using the music of Hendrix, Chickenfoot’s Kenny Aronoff has already layed down drum tracks on the music for the new film.

Aronoff is part of a group of musicians that include fellow session vets Waddy Wachtel on guitar and Lee Sklar on bass for the initial sessions, which took place during a touring break from Chickenfoot.

“We basically had to become the Jimi Hendrix Experience — which is ridiculous," Aronoff said. "First of all, you’re talking about, how are we going to get those sounds, how are we going to get the feel…. I honestly believe that you have to have grown up in that time, you have to have lived through that time to understand and feel it. It’s not just playing the notes, you have to understand and have felt the whole cultural movement in the ‘60s.”

The group spent two days in the studio with Andre 3000 and recorded a number of tracks, including ‘Wild Thing’ and ‘Killing Floor.’ The latter found them revisiting the period when Hendrix traveled to England and met up with many of his musical peers for the first time.

“He goes there and all of the sudden everybody – Zeppelin, The Who, Cream, everybody came down to see ‘who is this guy?’ I think it started where he got on stage with Cream and his manager pushed him up there and said ‘c’mon, show ‘em what you got.’ He goes up there and does this ‘Killing Floor’ song, wicked fast and he says to them something like ‘do you guys know the song ‘Killing Floor,’ and they were stumped.’”

For the Cream recording, Aronoff had to change up the drumming style. “I had to be Ginger Baker. Waddy even said ‘don’t play like Mitch [Mitchell], you’ve got to play like Ginger.’ Because remember, Jimi is sitting in with Cream and these guys are trying to keep up with him, because these guys are like ‘who the f–k are you?’ So you’ve got to have an attitude like ‘hey, little f–ker from the USA, I can keep up with you.’ So stylistically, I’ve got to be Ginger Baker, which is a whole another guy. I mean, I flew to England to see the reunion when they played in London once, because I’m such a massive fan. That was an intense two days.”

Sounds like it is some awesome stuff, let's hope negotiations with the estate allow it to be released.

After much talk and speculation, OutKast rapper, actor (Semi-Pro, Three Brothers, Idlewild), and Gillette Fusion spokesperson Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) has been cast as the Jimi Hendrix in a biopic to be titled 'All Is By My Side.' But hold up...now the Hendrix estate has released a statement specifically saying the movie cannot include original music or copyrights without their involvement and input.

The film was to begin shooting in Ireland soon, and is to be set in England during 1966-67, when Hendrix recorded his iconic debut album, 'Are You Experienced.' John Ridley will direct his own screenplay. He wrote the scripts for 'U Turn' and 'Red Tails,' and has also received story credit for David O. Russell's 'Three Kings.'

"Andre has the musical chops, the artistic sensibility and a devotion to his craft that makes me think he wouldn't take on this iconic role without knowing that he had something deep to offer," said MTV's Gil Kaufman on the rapper's upcoming portrayal of Hendrix. "Plus, as he's proven over and over with his many note-perfect, bulls-eye features on songs since he stopped recording his own albums, when he shoots, he shoots to kill."

Great, the long talked about Hendrix bio-flick will happen...or will it? It won't be worth making without Hendrix's original compositions and it looks like some major negotiations will have to take place for that to happen. The Jimi Hendrix estate (Experience Hendrix, LLC) released this statement yesterday:

"Various media outlets have recently published accounts that indicate a feature-length Jimi Hendrix biographical film is nearing production. Experience Hendrix, LLC, the family-owned company entrusted with safeguarding the legacy of Jimi Hendrix and administrator of the Jimi Hendrix music and publishing catalog has made it known many times in the past that no such film, were it to include original music or copyrights created by Jimi Hendrix, can be undertaken without its full participation.

"Experience Hendrix CEO Janie Hendrix, sister of Jimi Hendrix, and the EH board have not ruled out a 'biopic' in the future though producing partners would, out of necessity, have to involve the company from the inception of any such film project if it is to include original Jimi Hendrix music or compositions."

There hasn't been any response from the filmakers to the Hendrix Estate statement, but we'll keep your updated on where this is going.

OutKast member Andre 3000 will not be playing rock legend Jimi Hendrix in an independent movie biopic as has been previously reported.. The Experience Hendrix estate, in charge of all Hendrix material and images, have ended the possibility of a biopic going forward, and with it the fantasy of this perfect casting.

Experience Hendrix and their CEO, Hendrix's sister Janie, have "made it known many times in the past that no such film, were it to include original music or copyrights created by Jimi Hendrix, can be undertaken without its full participation." A biopic of a musician obviously can't happen without the artists music.

The estate does, however, confirm that a documentary film is currently in the works, stating, "With Sony Legacy, our partner, we are active in releasing documentary material starring, so to speak, Jimi Hendrix as himself and plan to continue on this path."

It has also been reported that the role was offered to pop/r&b singer Jason Derulo but he turned it down.

source: aol.com

photo: getty images