If I told you to think of Jimi Hendrix, you’d likely think of Seattle, Woodstock, or even the “27 club”.
What I bet you wouldn’t think of is Vancouver.
Long before downtown turned into the busy city that it is today, Vancouver had Hogan’s Alley. And in that neighbourhood, the Hendrix name already meant something.
Hogan’s Alley was once the cultural heart of Vancouver’s Black community. Located near Strathcona, the neighbourhood became known for its restaurants, nightlife, church community, and sense of identity during a time when discrimination made it difficult for many Black residents to live any where else in the city.
Among those residents was Nora Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix’s grandmother.
She wasn’t just someone who happened to live there. Nora Hendrix was an active community figure who helped found Fountain Chapel, Vancouver’s first Black church, and worked at the iconic Vie’s Chicken and Steak House.
That means one of the most influential musicians in modern history had real family roots in Vancouver.
Jimi Hendrix lived in Seattle, but reports note that he visited Vancouver often to see family and experience Vancouver’s once notorious night life scene. The story the Hendrix family leaves Vancouver shows us that music history doesn’t always live where people assume it does. Sometimes it’s hiding in plain sight, a few blocks from places you’ve probably driven past without thinking twice.
I know I’ve driven by Hogan’s ally dozens of times, never knowing the history.
We’re used to hearing stories about major artists coming from Los Angeles, New York, or London. But what Hogan’s Alley does is remind us British Columbians that we have always had a strong connection to the musical world.
Much of Hogan’s Alley was demolished during the construction of the Georgia Viaduct. A neighbourhood with deep history was erased in the name of development.
Now a days, you can find a Jimi Hendrix shrine located on Union and Main.
Which is even further proof of the history and cultural impact that Jimi and the Hendrix family left in Vancouver.