Grammys Induct Jimi Hendrix, Queen Recordings Into Hall Of Fame

Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Police, Queen and Ennio Morricone were among those whose music was inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame. Specifically, Hendrix's famed Woodstock rendition of "Star-Spangled Banner," Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and 26 more recordings were all honored and will be featured in the Grammys' brand new Los Angeles museum, set to open December 6th. Queen's "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions," Police's entire Synchronicity, Morricone's The Good, The Bad & The Ugly soundtrack, Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life" and the "Love Theme" from The Godfather were also selected. Additionally, B.B. King and John Mayer will perform one of the new inductees, Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Times Roll," at this Wednesday's nominations ceremony. Since 1973, the Grammys commission has inducted 826 titles into the Hall of Fame.

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

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