Post-grunge and nu-metal reigned during the late ’90s when Samantha Fish was growing up in Kansas City. While her peers embraced such Woodstock ’99 heroes as Limp Bizkit and Korn, Fish swam upstream and listened to old-school recording artists.
“I grew up listening to the Stones and Led Zeppelin and they were rooted in the blues,” Fish said while calling from Los Angeles. “So, I explored the blues and found the Delta blues sound, which I love. I love artists like R.L. Burnside. I love Son House and Skip James. I did my homework going back from rock to blues but I have to stress that I love rock and the blues.”
Like many rock and blues fans, Jimi Hendrix is at the top of Fish’s guitar hero list. The first time Fish played a Hendrix tune in front of an audience was when she was 17 and it was “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).”
“I totally botched it,” Fish said while laughing. “It’s almost like a horror story when I recount what happened.”
Fish, 35, has come a long way from her initial live Hendrix experience. Fans can witness her tackle classic Hendrix when she performs Sunday, Sept. 29, at Fox Tucson Theatre. Fish will share a stage with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde and Eric Johnson, as they deliver songs from the legend many consider to be the greatest guitarist.
“I figure out how to play Hendrix songs to the best of my ability,” Fish said. “I’ll do all that I can not to mess them up. It’s going to be an amazing event when you look at the lineup. I’m curious to see how the other players on the bill play Hendrix. Everyone is going to get up there and interpret the songs in their own way.”
Fish will cover “Fire” and “One Rainy Wish.”
“It’s always fun to play Hendrix,” Fish said. “He is a huge influence and one of the most iconic guitar players from his time period (1967-1971). Hendrix is one of those inspirational players with an innovative sound. His sound challenged the norms of guitar playing.”
More than a half-century after Hendrix’s death and no guitarist sounds quite like the axe hero who changed the sonic lexicon. “That’s part of the reason he was so special,” Fish said. “There has never been anyone like him. Nobody has come close to his sound. Hendrix was such an individual. What’s so cool about Hendrix is that you hear one of his songs and you know it’s him immediately. His guitar cut through everything. You might cop a lick but you’ll never sound quite like Hendrix. He had such a magnetic quality to his playing and that’s why we’re still listening to him all of these years later.”
Fish became a fan of Hendrix and so many old-school artists due to her father. “I owe a lot to my dad,” Fish said. “He threw a lot of great music at me since I was a kid. I really got into these great songwriters, like Tom Petty, John Hiatt and Tom Waits. Some people say Tom Waits can’t sing, but he’s an incredible songwriter. His stories are amazing.”
Fish is an inveterate storyteller as well. Her songs are vivid and compelling with catchy riffs.
“I think lyrics are so important but they’ve gotten lost in the shuffle these days,” Fish said. “Words can really move you. But some people just focus on being incredible at guitar or they just want to be the greatest vocalist.”
Empty lyrics bother Fish. “I just don’t get that,” Fish said. “For me, it has to be about something. It has to have some kind of substance. Back a generation or two ago, recording artists sung about things that really mattered.”
Fish found a perfect partner in Jesse Dayton. The Texas guitarist and Fish created “Death Wish Blues,” which dropped in 2023. The tandem co-wrote an eclectic album’s worth of blues, funk, rockabilly and punk. “We had a long tour together and it was awesome,” Fish said. “We accomplished our mission and we will return to it if the stars align again for us. I’m not sure what will happen. He’s working on a new album and I’m working on a new album. But all I’m thinking about now are these dates playing Hendrix. I just hope when I get back to Tucson that it’s not as hot as it normally is when I get there. But if it is, I’ll deal with it. I have great memories playing with Buddy Guy and Slash in Tucson. It’s always a good time when I go back there.”
Experience Hendrix w/Samantha Fish, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde and Eric Johnson
WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29
WHERE: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start $59.50
INFO: 520-547-3040,
foxtucson.com
