Much of Jimi's musical prowess came at the knee of his older sister, Ethel, who was quite an accomplished pianist.
His penchant for showmanship stemmed from the time Ethel dropped her lit Lucky Strike into the piano at the Boise, Idaho Great Western which set the thing on fire.
Eye witnesses state that she was pretty tipsy at the time due to the complimentary gin and tonics a visiting aluminum siding salesman was sending her way. Even though she was a rather large woman, the sheer number of drinks evidently took it's toll.
This proved to be a turning point in the young man's life and shortly thereafter he built his first guitar out of a cigar box and a section of wooden fencing.
At any rate, to give credit where credit is due and say that Ethel Hendix was the third greatest pianist ever, right behind Chico and Liberace.
