Born: 27 November 1942 Died: 18 September 1970
(drug overdose)
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington Period: `60s, `70s
Biography:
In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship -- he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth and set his guitar on fire -- has sometimes obscured his considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.
When Hendrix became an international superstar in 1967, it seemed as if he`d dropped out of a Martian spaceship, but in fact he`d served his apprenticeship the long, mundane way in numerous R&B acts on the chitlin circuit. During the early and mid-`60s, he worked with such R&B/soul greats as Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, and King Curtis as a backup guitarist. Occasionally he recorded as a session man (the Isley Brothers` 1964 single "Testify" is the only one of these early tracks that offers even a glimpse of his future g ...
