Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix, full name James Marshall Hendrix (1942-70). Black US rock guitarist. A self-taught musician, he was influenced by the blues singers B. B. King and Muddy Waters. He travelled to Britain in 1966 and formed the group the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which played at several pop festivals including Woodstock (1969) and the Isle of Wight (1970). His stage act was spectacular and controversial, while his records, which include ‘Hey Joe’ (1967), ‘Purple Haze’ (1967), and the album Electric Ladyland (1968), are characterized by his innovative use of the electric guitar. He died as a result of a barbiturate overdose.
