During his short career, Jimi Hendrix released three groundbreaking albums in the late ‘60s that helped bridge the blues and psychedelia. But more importantly, the gifted musician showed the world the limitless depths of the electric guitar through his onstage showmanship and studio mastery. He made only three studio albums during his lifetime, all with his excellent trio the Experience: ‘Are You Experienced,’ ‘Axis: Bold as Love’ and ‘Electric Ladyland,’ each increasingly explore the sonic reaches of traditional and contemporary music. Hendrix disbanded his group in 1969 and formed a new one, Band of Gypsys, which headed into jazzier and more groove-influenced territories. More than any of his peers, Hendrix was a visionary artist who never took the easy way out. Since his drug-related death at 27, his many recording sessions have been released on posthumous records that maintain his legacy.
- Birthdate: Nov. 27, 1942
- Died: Sept. 18, 1970
- Selected Discography: ‘Are You Experienced’ (1967), ‘Axis: Bold as Love’ (1967), ‘Electric Ladyland’ (1968)
- Further Reading: Top 10 Jimi Hendrix Songs, Top 10 Posthumous Jimi Hendrix Albums, ‘All Along the Watchtower’ – Top 100 Classic Rock Songs