The Jimi Hendrix is one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock music. Though he only released three studio albums during his lifetime, Hendrix’s legacy has transcended generations and inspired some of the greatest musicians of our time.
1. His real name was James Marshall Hendrix.
2. He was left-handed but played a right-handed guitar upside down and re-strung it for himself.
3. He began playing guitar at the age of 15.
4. Hendrix was a part of several R&B and soul bands before forming The Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1966 with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell.
5. ‘Are You Experienced?’, The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album, was released in 1967 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest debut albums of all time.
6. Hendrix was known for his innovative and experimental style of guitar playing which blended rhythm and lead together in a way that had never been done before.
7. He was also known for his use of feedback and distortion to create new sounds with his guitar.
8. Hendrix wrote some of rock music’s most iconic songs including ‘Purple Haze’, ‘Fire’, and ‘The Wind Cries Mary’.
9. He performed at the legendary Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969 and his rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ is considered to be one of the most iconic moments in rock history.
10. Hendrix died at the age of 27 from asphyxia after choking on his own vomit.
11. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
12. In 2002, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Hendrix as the greatest guitarist of all time.
13. His iconic 1967 Gibson Flying V guitar, nicknamed ‘Betty Jean’, was sold at auction for $1 million in 2020.
14. A new documentary about Hendrix’s life and career, called ‘Music, Money, Madness… Jimi Hendrix in Maui’, is set to be released in 2021.
15. Hendrix’s music continues to inspire new generations of guitarists and musicians all over the world.