I'm so glad I wrote up my "Hey Joe" diatribe ~ it's been on my mind for quite a while. It's been a few years since I participated in that "favorite cover songs" discussion, and that pompous ass's "ruling" that Hendrix wasn't "covering" the song has always bugged me!

I should have known that a mention on Mudcat would have brought me as much information as I'd ever want about the real-life songwriter. I'm glad he's properly identified, and thus probably got his well-earned royalties when the song finally got a high-profile recording. I'm also kinda glad, and not surprised, that he's an old folkie!

Since Jimi was an American, even though he spent time overseas as an Airborne Ranger and then as an expatriate rocker in the UK, I'm sure he first heard it (as I did) in some basement, garage, or high-school gym before he every met The Creation in London...

Is Lonesome EJ freaking out because we're even talking about "Hey Joe"?