Jimi Hendrix
Although he died just two years shy of his 30th birthday, Jimi Hendrix remains one of the most influential and innovative rock guitarists in the world. A pioneer in the use of electronic sounds, he experimented with feedback and distortion in such a creative way that he was able to turn those sound effects into a fluid and exotic language every bit as conventional as it was unconventional!
Jimi Hendrix
Although he died just two years shy of his 30th birthday, Jimi Hendrix remains one of the most influential and innovative rock guitarists in the world. A pioneer in the use of electronic sounds, he experimented with feedback and distortion in such a creative way that he was able to turn those sound effects into a fluid and exotic language every bit as conventional as it was unconventional! After Hendrix, even the very best guitarists seemed to be mere imitators of his psychedelic rock style.
As a teenager, Jimi taught himself to play guitar by listening to B. B. King, Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. In 1964, he moved to New York and played with Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, and Curtis Knight, among others. In 1965, Chas Chandler of the Animals took Hendrix to London and helped form the Jimi Hendrix Experience (Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums). The group’s first single, “Hey Joe” reached number six, and was followed in 1967 by “Purple Haze.”