The Renton Highlands Post Office will honor legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix with a plaque being placed in the lobby. The office will retain the Renton Highlands Post Office name, with the Hendrix designation coming as an honorary measure, according to the U.S. Postal Service, reports the Renton Reporter.

Last Friday, dignitaries gathered to honorably rename the post office in the Renton Highlands, at 4301 NE 4th St., the James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix Post Office, at a dedication ceremony.

Hendrix wrote letters home to his father and family during his military days. Today, those letters and postcards are fondly kept by Janie Hendrix, Jimi’s stepsister, who has ownership rights to much of the late musician’s memorabilia. The letters and postcards, she said, were among the most precious possessions belonging to Jimi’s father, Al Hendrix.

“I believe that were Jimi here today, he would thank the (U.S.) Postal Service, not only for this honor, but for keeping him connected to his family all those years ago,” Janie Hendrix said.

The new exhibit, Bold As Love: Jimi Hendrix At Home, is open at the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle through May 5th.

The much anticipated exhibit offers a rare and detailed look at Jimi’s Seattle origins through the lens of those closest to him and by his own artistic eyes. Through archival and family photos, his own artwork, personal artifacts, music, and multimedia, visitors will discover how the icon’s Seattle upbringing shaped his life and career. The collection of art and visual effects is being billed as more than an exhibition, but an experience that will take museum guests on a journey into the life of James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix, whose rise to stardom was meteoric, but whose feet never left the ground.

“We wanted people to come away feeling like they know Jimi on a different level. He was a complex and beautiful human being. His music was just a part of who he was,” explains Janie Hendrix, President & CEO of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and Authentic Hendrix, LLC. “Bold As Love: Jimi Hendrix At Home is our way of showing some of the many facets of Jimi at various stages of his life, not just on stage. This exhibit reveals Jimi the man, not only as a performer.”

The world recognizes Jimi Hendrix as an unequivocally gifted rock star who changed the world of music forever. He transformed the electric guitar into an instrument the world would embrace, raising the standards of rock music and making it more of an art form. He continues to have international appeal, but few recognize his humble beginnings here in Seattle. The exhibit opens the door to his home.

Growing up primarily in Seattle’s Central District, Jimi’s exposure to music began at an early age and was cultivated by his father, James “Al” Hendrix. Jimi’s infatuation with the guitar started with a broom, as observed by his dad. He then graduated to a one-string ukulele, and finally a guitar. Never formally trained, Jimi was a self-taught musician, listening intently the sounds of blues and jazz at home. His unique style of dress, later displayed in life, was also part of his family’s legacy. His colorful costumes paid homage to his grandmother’s vaudevillian roots, as did his stunning theatrical performances. Each a vestige of home. His musical genius, personified by his free spirit and self-awareness, would ultimately make Seattle proud, and the universe his friend.

“The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) is delighted to partner with Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Authentic Hendrix LLC on this profoundly important exhibition that explores the life and musical genius of Jimi Hendrix from the perspective of his Seattle roots,” said LaNesha DeBardelaben, Executive Director at NAAM. “His brilliance and legacy inspire us because he’s one of us. This is a unique opportunity to see Seattle through his eyes and what he cherished. Young or old, there is something for everyone to learn and discover in this exhibition.”