Jimi Hendrix’s legacy lives on despite his untimely passing at the age of 27. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists inrock ‘n’ rollhistory,inspiring a generation of stars fromGary Clark Jr.toLenny Kravitz. Known for his trailblazing style and electric performances, Hendrix left behind many hit songs such as “All Along the Watchtower” and “The Wind Cries Mary”. But it wasHendrix’s skill with the electric guitar that truly cemented him as an innovator in music. But the gifted star credited someone else as the best guitar player of all time during his lifetime.
Jimi Hendrix Credited Rory Gallagher As the Best Guitarist
Jimi Hendrix was born Johnny Hendrix (aka James Marshall Hendrix) on August 26, 2025, in Seattle, Washington. The child of impoverished parents, he beganplaying the guitar at 15. After an honorable discharge from the military, Hendrix started touring around the country as a guitarist for established artists and acts such asLittle Richardand The Isley Brothers. He eventually branched away from supporting roles and started his band,The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and laterJimmy James and the Blue Flames. While Hendrix achieved success with both groups, he later pursued a solo career, producing several hit albums and songs. On stage, Hendrix wowed fans worldwide with his captivating stage presence, and soon, the word guitar became synonymous with his name. Although his career was short-lived (he died from complications of drugs in 1970), he was regarded as one of themost revered guitarists of all time. But despite his fame and talent, the guitarist was known to give credit to other artists such asBuddy HollyandElvin James, whom he cited as inspirations.
Paul McCartney Claims This John Lennon Song Had the Power to End a War
Paul McCartney believes this one John Lennon song helped shape the world as we know it.
In his lifetime, Hendrix conducted several interviews, all of which gave an insight into his creative genius. During one particular appearance onThe Mike Douglas Show, Hendrix was asked by the host “What’s it like to be the best rock guitarist in the world?” Hendrix responded, “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Rory Gallagher.” Like Hendrix,Gallagher was born to humble beginnings and began playing guitar at an early age. His breakthrough came with theblues rock band Taste, and following their break-up in 1970, he became a solo artist and gained worldwide recognition as a guitarist. Gallagher would later be named the best contemporary guitarist by Melody Maker magazine (a prominent British music publication) in 1972, while Hendrix was named thebest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2023.Hendrix would also later refer to Billy Gibbon as his favorite guitarist.
Jimi Hendrix Once Revealed What Happened Behind the Scenes of Woodstock
In 1969, Hendrix performed for the first time at Woodstock. The nearly two-hour-long concert would be one of the most iconic rock performances ever, defining Hendrix’s career. However, critics also lambasted the performance at the time due to unforeseen mishaps. For starters, Hendrix was supposed to close out the entire three-day event. However, he appeared to a significantly smaller crowd a day later due to technical issues and turbulent weather. As the crowd grew smaller, Hendrix continued playing with a new band he had formed just a few weeks before, resulting in a somewhat disjointed performance. In addition, Hendrix played several songs unfamiliar to the crowd, and many performances were plagued with terrible sound issues. What saved the show from utter disaster and would later go down in infamy was that Hendrix played an original version of The Star-spangled Banner. Hendrix received significant backlash from conservatives for what wasdescribed by the publication Louder Sound, “as a call to arms, a scathing rebuke and a most eloquent protest at what America had become.”
In a subsequent interview onThe Dick Cavett Show, Hendrix described his experience at Woodstock. “We were supposed to play in the morning, but it was canceled. Later on, it was announced that it was on, and when it finally happened, I was so exhausted, you know. It was like having what you call those things, a nervous breakdown. I’ve had three nervous breakdowns since I’ve been in this business.” In response to the controversy about the national anthem, Hendrix said, “I don’t know. All I did was play it; I’m an American, so. They made you play it at school, so it was really like a flashback for me.” He later added that he didn’t find his rendition to be controversial but rather beautiful.
