Jimi
Hendrix (born November 27, 1942, Seattle, Washington – September 18,
1970, London, England) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter.
Hendrix is recognized as one of the greatest and most influential
guitarists in rock music history.After initial
success in England, he achieved worldwide fame following his 1967
performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Later, Hendrix headlined the
iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival before his death in 1970, at the age of 27.
A
self-taught musician, Hendrix played a Fender Stratocaster guitar turned
upside down ("left-handed") and restrung to suit him. Hendrix
pioneered the technique of guitar feedback with overdriven amplifiers,
incorporating what was previously an undesirable sound into his music. He
built upon the innovations and influences of blues stylists such as B.B.
King, Muddy Waters, Albert King, and T-Bone Walker, and derived style from
rhythm and blues and soul guitarists Curtis Mayfield, Steve Cropper, and
Cornell Dupree, as well as from traditional jazz. Part of Hendrix's
flamboyant stage persona may have been inspired by rock pioneer Little
Richard.
Hendrix was
inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall
of Fame in 2005. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (at 6627 Hollywood
Blvd.) was dedicated in 1994. In 2006, his debut album, Are You Experienced, was
inducted into the United States National Recording Preservation Board's
National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone named Hendrix number one
on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time in 2003.
