Book Review: “Kiss the Sky: Jimi Hendrix 1942-1970” by J.M. Dupont, Mezzo

“Kiss the Sky: Jimi Hendrix 1942-1970” by J.M. Dupont (Author), Mezzo (Artist) (2024)

Genre: Biography, History, Graphic Novel

Page Length: 95 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Before he became the legendary guitarist, Hendrix navigated a childhood reminiscent of Dickens, evolving into an obscure musician and facing a journey paved with hardships. In this intimate portrait by Mezzo and JM Dupont, authors of the acclaimed Love in Vain, explore the dark and desperate quest for recognition that defined the early chapters of Hendrix’s life.

This narrative, a perfect blend of lyricism and realism, delves not only into the tormented soul of the future rock star but also unveils his lesser-known musical odyssey. Join Hendrix on his path as he encounters legendary artists during his formative years – Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner, BB King, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones.

Intriguing and captivating, this book promises a deeper understanding of the iconic figure. Uncover the story behind Hendrix’s rise from obscurity to immortality.

Review:

Kiss the Sky does an excellent job of illustrating and telling the story of Hendrix’s early days before he rose to super stardom. While I feel that it can be difficult to write any biography, especially in graphic novel form this one did its best to follow a smooth timeline of his life. There’s a lot packed into this this first installment and while it can be overwhelming to digest a lot of information the comic style format makes it more accessible for a wider audience to delve into. I really appreciated that the book will be split up into two parts instead of cramming everything into one large tome.

While I am familiar with Hendrix and some aspects of his career, I didn’t know to much about how he got his start in music as well as him as a person. It was heartbreaking to read about all of the turbulence in his early years from his parents on/off again relationship and not having a stable household. Though he didn’t grow up in the best of circumstances he took what was deemed as tragic and was determined to have a better life for himself. The novel showcases how deep his relationship was music was in his youth and how he became attached to the guitar. It was interesting to see just how his relationship with music evolved from childhood and how he worked to develop his own sound (much of went against the grain of the music at that time).

I found this graphic novel to be lyrical from its writing all the way to the illustrations which were breathtaking. I can tell how much care went into this biography and the passion that the author and artist put into each page. It has re-readability as each page is so detailed and you might definitely pick up something new with each reading experience. I learned so much from reading Kiss The Sky and gained an even great respect for Hendrix’s musicality and impact as a legendary artist!

Final Verdict: