On Sept. 11, 1970, Jimi Hendrix gave his final interview from inside his suite at the London-based Cumberland Hotel. The late musician, considered to be "the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music," was exhausted from overwork, two lawsuits and chronic illness -- a week later he'd be discovered dead by his girlfriend in that same suite.
At the time of the recording, however, he was lighter than air.
"When things get too heavy," he told the reporter, "just call me helium, the lightest known gas to man."
The PBS animated interview by "Blank On Blank," switches between topics with ease: his "mad scientist approach" to writing, his indoor-swimming-pool hopes for the future and that now-infamous set at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival where he set his guitar on fire.
"I just worked up enough anger where I could do it," he said. "But I didn't know it was anger till they told me it was."
At the time of the recording, however, he was lighter than air.
"When things get too heavy," he told the reporter, "just call me helium, the lightest known gas to man."
The PBS animated interview by "Blank On Blank," switches between topics with ease: his "mad scientist approach" to writing, his indoor-swimming-pool hopes for the future and that now-infamous set at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival where he set his guitar on fire.
"I just worked up enough anger where I could do it," he said. "But I didn't know it was anger till they told me it was."