Page 3 Profile: André 3000, musician turned actor

Andre 3000 performing back in 2004 (Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Jimi’s back?

Say hello to Hendrix 2.0; played by André 3000 in new biopic All Is By My Side.

He’s the spitting image.

And, from the first clips to make their way online, he’s got the voice down, too. Shame we won’t be hearing any of his distinctive licks, though …

How’s that?

Well, the rights to all of the guitar supremo’s music are held by Experience Hendrix LLC, a company owned by Jimi’s sister, Janie. She refused to endorse the project, leaving producers no choice but to use covers instead.

A music biopic ... with no music?

Don’t worry, with André onside, the soundtrack will not disappoint. As one half of rap outfit OutKast, he gained international acclaim with hits such as “Hey Ya!” and “So Fresh, So Clean”. Hailing from Atlanta, he’s a major player in the city that’s dubbed the capital of the South.

And what can we see in the clip?

André 3000 being rather charming over a drink with British actress Imogen Poots, who plays Linda Keith. She was the girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, and was “mesmerised” by Hendrix’s guitar-playing.

Oh, the Sixties…

While details of whether the two were romantically involved are hazy, Keith was present at many of the crucial junctures in Hendrix’s life. It was at her New York City apartment that he first took LSD, and she was the driving force in bringing him to London. It was in a hotel in the capital that he died in September 1970, while intoxicated with barbiturates.