The brother of the late Jimi Hendrix has been unsuccessful in his attempt to gain a cut of the legendary singer's posthumous royalties. As previously reported, Hendrix's brother Leon claimed that he had been unfairly cut out of his father's will by his step sister Janie. Their father, Al Hendrix, had inherited the rights to Jimi's music, and Janie continues to run the estate through the Experience Hendrix company.
In Al Hendrix's original will Leon Hendrix was due to get 24% of the estate, with Janie Hendrix receiving 38%. However, in 1997 the will was changed cutting out Leon. He claims Janie forced their then infirm father to make that decision. Her legal people argue it was because of Leon's ongoing drugs problems, unwillingness to work and regular demands for money that Al Hendrix chose to change his will.
Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ramsdell last week sided with Janie, telling the court: "Janie was the family member Al trusted the most."
Outside the court Janie told reporters: "The judge has upheld my dad's will and the way it was written. I had a great partnership with my dad, and now it's time to heal."
A spokesman for the Experience Hendrix company said: "Janie and [her cousin] Robert are happy that her father's wishes were honoured. They are a responsible company that tries to honour the legacy of Jimi Hendrix and they want to keep doing their job."
Criticising the court's decision, Leon Hendrix again stressed that Janie was not, in fact, a blood relative of Jimi - she was adopted by Al Hendrix and her mother, June Jinka, in 1968, just two years before Jimi's death. Leon told reporters: "This is the Hendrixes. This is the family right here, you know, bloodline".