u/jazmaan273

Little Esther Phillips was discovered by Johnny Otis. Her cover of the Beatles "And I Love Him" was so good that the Beatles flew her to London to appear in one of their TV specials. This photo was taken at the record release party for Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" on May 5, 1966 and photos exist of Jimi backing up Sledge and Wilson Pickett at that event but this one with Little Esther isn't seen as often. That's King Curtis on sax.

https://preview.redd.it/39s1sn17002h1.jpg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8b48e5a329a260341c47b619a083b12843533c5

Jimi was a big Elvis fan. There's film of him playing "Hound Dog" written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller.   Jimi's middle school talent show program survives and it shows that his band performed one song - "Charlie Brown" - also by Leiber & Stoller.   And if you listen to the instrumental interlude near the end of "Stepping Stone" you may recognize he's playing a riff from "I'm a Hog for You Baby"  - also by Leiber & Stoller.    Also Jimi's "Takin Care of No Business' is clearly influenced by "D.W. Washburn" also by Leiber & Stoller.   i'm lucky to know Mike Stoller (who besides composing those songs was also the piano player on "Jailhouse Rock" and several other Elvis hits) and he's a very humble guy but I've told him about all this. MIke doesn't get enough credit as one of the originators of rock and roll, but the Beatles and the Stones started out playing his songs. John Lennon was quoted as saying "In our early days, all i wanted to do was write something as good as "Some Other Guy" - I don't think I ever did." The earliest footage of the Beatles in the Cavern Club is them performing "Some Other Guy".

Jimi performed "Star Spangled Banner" over 40 times in his career going all the way back to Aug 1968. Yet its always the Woodstock performance that seems to stand out. Why? Can you think of any other performances that you think were better than Woodstock?