Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang Launch Experience Hendrix 2014 Tour

The ‘Experience Hendrix’ tour is set to embark on its eighth year in 2014 with a line-up of guitar heroes to well and truly match Hendrix’s intimidatingly impressive legacy.

On next year’s bill are Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Bootsy Collins, Dweezil Zappa, Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Billy Cox, from Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys, will be fulfilling bass duties, while the drum seat will be filled by Chris Layton, formerly of Double Trouble.

This will be the first time Wylde and Ana Popovic have joined the Jimi Hendrix tribute on the road, while the rest of the line-up have made appearances in one way or another in past years.

The tour itself is scheduled for lift off on March 11st in Dallas, and will see the guitar greats make stops all over the country, including shows in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, and Washington, D.C. It wraps up on April 4th in Detroit. No word yet on whether the show in Buffalo on April 1st is legit yet. (Of course it is.)

“Jimi often spoke of his concept of ‘Electric Church’ and using music to connect directly with people,” Janie Hendrix (do you think she’s related to Jimi?), President of Experience Hendrix LLC said in a press release. “Every day we see how Jimi’s musical legacy continues to transcend generational and cultural boundaries. It’s our continuing mission to do all we can to celebrate what he’s given us and to keep his music in the forefront. The Experience Hendrix tour does that with brilliant musicians who love Jimi, electrifying the stage with his music and sound.”

‘Experience Hendrix’ began its life in 1995 as the ‘Jimi Hendrix Guitar Festival’ at Bumbershoot, and has been an on-off-on again-off again fixture since then, which prompts two questions: 1. Why did it take someone until 1995 to figure out that Mr. Hendrix deserved his own tribute festival and 2. Will it ever only be on-on again-on again?