This article explains that it all comes down to the nature of “peerage,” and in 1967 a guy who plunked down an amp, plugged in, and played “Louie Louie” wasn’t really a “peer” to the scores of industry people voting for Grammys back then. The rock format, with its comparatively small group of guitars, bass, drums, and singers represented a challenge to this industry and all its people.
The author goes on to explain that it's a tribute to Jimi Hendrix’s visionary spirit that he was so ahead of his time that he couldn’t have been considered for a Grammy during his lifetime; the Grammys themselves were still “young” and simply not ready for him. same condition applies to so many artists active in the late 1960s that seem like icons to us now — Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Doors, the Velvet Underground. Could you ever see Hendrix showing up to the Grammys in a tuxedo anyway? Didn't think so...
On a side note to this whole Hendrix story, a friend and I came up with our own little theory about Jimi Boy. He was a complete homosexual. Mind you, we were stoned out of our minds on a week long binge, but the reasoning makes complete sense. Look at what Hendrix wore in the late 60's...hetero, i think not. He just got away with it because it was 1967 and everyone was high all the time and talking about free love, so who cared? If you listen to him speak and check the mannerisms in his interviews it becomes even clearer....at least it did for the whole 6 hours we were watching Hendrix videos. We've chosen to never revisit this theory, but still keep it in our minds.D.A.R.E. to resist drugs
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