Zayn Malik, the former One Direction member, returns to music by paying tribute to Jimi Hendrix with his cover of Hendrix’s ‘Angel’. On November 27, 2022, it would mark Hendrix’s 80th birthday. Jimi tragically died in 1970 at age 27 after he aspirated his own vomit, per a coroner’s report. It stated that he died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates.
Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, born in Seattle on November 27, 1942, and began playing guitar at 15. He received a number of posthumous accolades, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and the UK Music Hall of Fame more than a decade later, in 2005. He was also ranked ‘the greatest guitarist of all time’ by Rolling Stone.
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Zayn Malik Pays Tribute To Jimi Hendrix
On November 25, the One Direction alum dropped his version of the guitarist Jimi Hendrix’s 1971 song ‘Angel’, which originally debuted on his posthumous album The Cry of Love. Zayn debuted his take on the song starting from the opening line, “Angel came down from heaven.” It appears to be approved by the late icon’s team, as Jimi’s Instagram page posted a teaser of the song earlier in the week.
A spokesperson for Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. told Billboard, “We are pleased that Zayn has been inspired to use original music from Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Angel’ in his recording of the song. We’re hopeful that this version of a Hendrix classic will enlighten a new generation of listeners about Jimi’s genius and further propel his continuing legacy.”
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What Did The Former One Direction Member Say About His New Collaboration?
Zayn will never forget this moment, wherein he could pay tribute to one of his favorite artists in the music industry. “Being asked to collaborate to celebrate @jimihendrix 80th birthday was such an unexpected and huge honour,” he wrote on Instagram. “I have so much respect and admiration for Jimi, his music and fans. ‘Angel’ is out now – hope you love the track as much as I do. Happy 80th Jimi.”
More than 50 years later, the new ‘Angel’ marks a rare music release from Zayn, 29, following his 2021 album Nobody Is Listening. He also recently collaborated with Yung Bleu on the number ‘Fire Inside’. Otherwise, he’s been focusing on activism—campaigning for expanded free school meals in the U.K.—and co-parenting his 2-year-old daughter Khai with Gigi Hadid.
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