“Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music…. I try to use my music to move these people to act” -Jimi Hendrix
Charismatic performer and a perfectionist, Jimi Hendrix was known for his virtuosic technique and improvisational ability. Hendrix is widely regarded as the greatest rock guitarist who ever lived, though he insists he sang the blues — the blues of his generation.
Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington in 1942. He had a difficult childhood and even went to live with his Native American grandmother in Canada because of problems at home. As a young man, as punishment for a prank Hendrix was sent to the army; he was discharged after one year, and did not enjoy his time as a soldier.
Hendrix was musical from an early age and began playing blues on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” with artists such as Little Richard in the early 1960s. He formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1966, and the band became a huge success in the UK. Hendrix and his band later became popular in the USA and internationally as well, famously headlining Woodstock Festival in 1969. The Jimi Hendrix Experience released the albums Are you Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland before disbanding in 1969.
Jimi Hendrix died in 1970 in London, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery. He reportedly died of an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol. He was 27 years old.