A symbol of the American dream, Jimi Hendrix - the soft-spoken, compassionate guitarist from Seattle - was a self-taught left-handed musician who rose to global stardom. Twenty five years after his death, he is still recognized as the finest electric guitarist of the century. Hendrix spent two thirds of his twenty-seven years in Seattle. So much that happened there was later incorporated & immortalized in his style, music, & image. This collection of reminiscences recreates his childhood through interviews with over 75 people from every area of his life. "This is a community project with a mission," says author Mary Willix, Jimi's childhood friend. "These are the hometown stories of the boy behind the myth, narrated in the first person to capture the style of the person interviewed. Together, they capture a feeling for the community that represents Jimi's roots. I understand now how unique it was. We lived in a cocoon, but we were in it together. Racial, religious & socioeconomic differences were givens, so we related as individuals & found what we had in common. There was a willingness to share & a commitment to excellence that remains refreshing. Seattle's Garfield High School in the fifties & early sixties has earned its place in U.S. history as a beacon for harmonious pluralism." The spirit of Garfield enhances Jimi's message of freedom & peace. VOICES FROM HOME also features never-before-published images of Hendrix (Peter Riches, Ulvis Alberts, Jill Gibson, Dave Sygall, Michael Ochs Archives). Interview portraits are mixed with album photos, landscape shots & memorabilia donated by Hendrix's classmates. The epilogue is by prize-winning poet & novelist Luis Alberto Urrea (The Fever of Being, Across the Wire, In Search of Snow, By the Lake of the Sleeping Children).