"Richie Kotzen's Hendrix Blunder: How His Mom Corrected His Purple Haze Mix-Up"

#Richie Kotzen – Falling out with Mom Over Purple Haze: A Guitar World Exclusive

‘Musical differences’ have driven a wedge between many creative relationships, but in the new issue of Guitar World, Richie Kotzen recalls falling out with his mom over the very first song he learned to play: Purple Haze. Let’s take a closer look at this iconic event.

##Young Ambition
It’s pretty telling of Kotzen’s early ambitions that the track he tackled first on the instrument was the signature tune of the man often held up as the world’s greatest electric guitar player – but we’ve always said aim for the stars.

Ritchie recalls, “The first song I learned was Purple Haze. I learned it in the open position, though, and it didn’t sound like Purple Haze.” While he probably didn’t need the feedback, Kotzen’s mother had some pointers and first-hand experience of the electric maestro.

##A Mother’s Corrective Criticism
“I remember getting into an argument with my mother,” he tells GW. “I told her, ‘This is Purple Haze,’ and she said, ‘No, it’s not. I saw Jimi Hendrix live, and Purple Haze didn’t sound anything like that!’”

Kotzen has no trouble with collaborators, having served alongside some sizeable names (and, quite probably, egos) at the ’90s shred rock face – not least, Poison, Mr Big and, later, in supergroup The Winery Dogs. Yet the criticism still stung the burgeoning virtuoso.

##Learning and Humility
“I got very upset by what she said, as technically I was playing Purple Haze,” insists Ritchie. “But because it was in the open position, it didn’t sound like it to someone who wasn’t a musician…” Let the record show that Kotzen certainly nailed his Hendrix licks in the years that followed, but we appreciate Kotzen’s humility in sharing the tale.

##A Humorous Perspective
Not least, because ‘The problem is that you’re not a musician’ is perhaps the best playing excuse we’ve ever heard. It certainly beats feigning RSI the next time we throw a solo at a covers gig…

Elsewhere in the entertaining piece, Kotzen gamely recalls his first show, onstage disasters and why, when he was quite literally faced with the building burning down, he actually didn’t take any of his guitars.

##Delve into More
For more from Kotzen, plus new interviews with Matteo Mancuso, Grace Bowers and Nita Strauss, pick up issue 586 of Guitar World at Magazines Direct. And finally, no, we’re not picking sides, but Ritchie recounts the story much better than you, mom.

See the full story of the Purple Haze argument with mom.