Jimi Hendrix; God of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Jimi Hendrix was yet another American musician who is known and loved worldwide. He passed away in 1970 but his legacy and memory lives on. He was a rock star in eve
ry sense of the word; guitarist, singer and songwriter. His popularity was short but immeasurably sweet, lasting just four fast and furious years.
Yet in those four years he quickly became one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock ‘n’ roll and overall one of the most recognized artists of all time.
He earned his spot in the Rock and Roll hall of fame where he is described as “arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music”.
His music was influenced heavily by American style rock ‘n’ roll and the blues. By levering amplifiers and manipulating undesirable sounds and feedback to create beautiful, surreal music, he took rock ‘n’ roll in a whole new direction.
He introduced his trademark wah wah sound to the industry and the world, and soon wah wah pedals and stereophonic phasing were widely used. Electric guitar to him was an art more than it was an instrument and this left many in awe of what he could do and how he could use it to make such amazing sounds and music.
It comes as no surprise that this pioneering God of Rock was the recipient of several music awards including:
- Pop Musician of the Year (1967)
- Performer of the Year (1968)
- World Top Musician (1969)
- Rock Guitarist of the Year (1970)
- He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
The legacy of Jimi Hendrix lives on and many artists find comfort, inspiration and motivation in his music and his sound. He was influential to say the least, and his innovative mind is contagious and alive in music today. Let’s hope it will be for generations to come.