James "Jimi" Marshall Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington in 1942 and is widely recognized, by music fans and critics alike, as one of the most creative and influential guitarists in rock music history. This self taught musician, and left-hander, played a right-handed Fender Stratocaster guitar turned upside down and re-strung to suit him.
Already a sensation throughout most of Europe, Hendrix came to light in the U.S. at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival where he lit his guitar on fire prior to smashing it against the stage and later when he headlined the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival. He was found dead a year later in London at the age of 27.
Jimi Hendrix was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was dedicated to him in 1994 and in 2006, the United States National Recording Preservation Board inducted his debut album, Are You Experienced, into the National Recording Registry. In 2003, Rolling Stone named Hendrix number one on their list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time".
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