Get out your chisels and climbing gear, folks. The results of our Mt. Rushmore of Seattle Music poll are in, and we’ve carved out the four names that came out on top: Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, and Heart.
Yep, you see five faces up on our special sculpture, though two of them — Ann and Nancy Wilson — are the leaders of one group (Heart). It’s just not fair to choose between talented sisters.
The results were pretty definitive: Hendrix got the most votes overall (24% overall), Cobain was second at 17%, Jones was fourth at 12%, and Heart had 10%. Thanks to everyone who voted — you rocked it, picking four icons with amazing music history and plenty of local cred.
Jimi Hendrix
Raised in the Central District, the “Purple Haze” singer and electrifying guitarist attended Garfield High School. There’s now a park dedicated to him not far from the campus, right outside the Northwest African American History Museum.
Kurt Cobain
Though he was born more than an hour’s drive away in Aberdeen, grunge’s enduring idol made a name for himself in Seattle when Nirvana started playing bigger and bigger shows here — including the one where the band debuted “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Quincy Jones
The 28-time Grammy winning producer — who had hits with Ray Charles, Count Basie, Michael Jackson, and countless others — was born in Chicago, but spent his formative years in Seattle. He’s a Garfield High alum like Hendrix and recently donated $50,000 to the jazz program at Washington Middle School.
Heart
Getting their start in a Bellevue basement in the 1970s and at clubs within the I-5 corridor, Ann and Nancy Wilson rose to rock stardom in the 1970s on the strength of hits like “Barracuda” and “Crazy on You.” They’re still going strong.
Look for longer pieces on each of these legends in upcoming newsletters. We’ll keep the encores coming.
