Jimi Hendrix

Rock superstar Jimi Hendrix was only in the limelight for three years, but within that time, he managed to change the face of Rock and Roll forever. Hendrix was born in 1942, started playing guitar at age 11 and performed with local rock groups as a teen. At 16, Hendrix left school and joined the Army as a paratrooper, a career quickly ended by an injury he received during a practice jump.Hendrix soon started playing backup guitar for well-known rock and R&B artists such as Little Richard, Tina Turner and James Brown. Hendrix began to develop his signature style, including playing guitar with his teeth, behind his head and between his legs. Hendrix was ambidextrous at first but later played a right-handed guitar strung upside down with his left hand. In addition, he manipulated the volume and tone controls to create original effects and sounds. To this day, Hendrix's ability to play clean leads and distorted rhythm simultaneously has seemed unfathomable to many people.

In 1964, he moved to New York City and started his own band. Three years later, he traveled to England with a friend and the promise of meeting Eric Clapton. In England, he formed "The Jimi Hendrix Experience," and the group's first single, "Hey Joe," rose to number six on the British charts.

Even before the first album was released, Beatles star Paul McCartney persuaded officials of the Monterey Pop Festival to allow Hendrix to play in 1967. He set his guitar on fire at the end of the show, and the performance shot him to rock stardom. His debut album, "Are You Experienced," came out later that year and was called by Jan Obrecht of Guitar Player Magazine the "most revolutionary debut album in rock guitar history."

Hendrix played at Woodstock in 1969, the only black artist to perform there. Hendrix took no part in formal politics, but many said that Hendrix's well-known electric version of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock was a statement in itself. He died in 1970 of an overdose of barbiturates, but his music continues to be popular even today.

Information compiled from Gale Resource Center's Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History.