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SEATTLE - Jimi Hendrix might have stayed in the Army. He might have been sent to Vietnam. Instead, he pretended he was gay. And with that, he was discharged from the 101st Airborne in 1962, launching a musical career that would redefine the guitar, leave other rock heroes of the day speechless and culminate with his headlining performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock in 1969.
Hendrix's subterfuge, contained in his military medical records, is revealed for the first time in Charles R. Cross' new biography, "Room Full of Mirrors." Publicly, Hendrix always claimed he was discharged after breaking his ankle on a parachute jump, but his medical records do not mention such an injury.
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Since the military records belong to a “collector the author won’t name” the crux of the argument is foggy at best, but it’s still a fairly odd allegation. Even so, I really doubt the legacy of the Jimi Hedrix Experience and Jimi’s contribution to music will be tarnished by this “revelation.” Anyway, it just seemed too weird not to share.
At any rate, you gotta love biographical weirdness. I probably won't pick up the book, but the AP link damn sure makes for some fun cocktail conversation!
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