Jimi Hendrix was one of the most important musicians of the twentieth century.

Jimi Hendrix was one of the most important musicians of the twentieth century.  Few others have ever been as influential.

Now a lot of people are going to disagree with that statement, particularly since it appears to ignore a many other genres of music like classical and jazz, but in terms of cultural importance and sheer influence Hendrix takes a lot of beating, particularly since he achieved all that he did in the space of four, very turbulent years.

There had been great guitarists before Hendrix but none with the power and imagination to turn the guitar into such a versatile instrument.  Hendrix was able to conjure any kind of sound he wanted from a guitar, could do the work of two guitarists effortlessly and still be the most dynamic frontmen ever to set foot on a stage.  He was also an African American leading a British rock band with two white side-men and there was no doubt about who was in charge.  He even told them what they should play, on their own instruments.   Furthermore, this was not a man who would tone down his act for anybody.  He owned the stage, did whatever he wanted when he pleased and took the whole rock genre into uncharted territory.  Thanks to Hendrix rock became more sexual, more funky and unpredictable; he cross-pollinated rock with soul, jazz, raga, avant garde, country and everything else, without any regard for the established rules.

Hendrix could do this because, unlike most of his contemporaries in rock, he had learnt from some of the best.  The most famous and celebrated guitarist in the UK at the time was of course Eric Clapton but Clapton had picked up all he knew from blues records, copying the guitar licks and acquiring similar equipment to his heroes.  What Clapton lacked was any form of originality.  Jimi Hendrix had toured on the same circuit as Clapton’s heroes, he’d learned directly from them, played on a constant basis, became expert on blues (and other styles of) guitar and had already developed his own individual style.  Eric Clapton longed to be part of the blues tradition, whereas Jimi Hendrix found that same tradition too limiting.  Jimi Hendrix was all about breaking free of any form of confinement; it not only came in the lyrics of his songs, it also came out in his playing.

He had not only learnt from the best, he had also played with some of them too.  Hendrix’s famous showmanship was a product of having played in Little Richard’s band, along with The Isley Brothers, Wilson Pickett and numerous others.  Such performers had their stage act down to a fine art – they had to because the so-called chitlin’ circuit was notoriously tough, everything they did had been tried and tested with audience after audience.  The ‘gimmicks’ Hendrix became famous for; playing his guitar behind his back, with his teeth, etc, had been copped from watching other performers on the circuit and adapted into his own act.  Blues guitarists as early as Charlie Patton had been playing their guitars behind their backs but this was absolutely new to a rock audience.

Hendrix’s first album, ‘Are You Experienced’, was magical.  There was barely any precedent for it.  Previously electric guitars had simply been an amplified version of acoustic ancestors and treated as such, with few exceptions.  Hendrix changed all that.  Not only was his playing incredible, it quickly emerged that he was no slouch as a songwriter either, and despite his own doubts about his singing, the charisma and sensuality in his voice was undeniable.  He looked amazing as well, wearing the biggest afro ever seen (which even his band emulated – along with Clapton), wild cloths and a vintage military jacket.  This was an entirely new and quite different manner of rock star.

Hendrix had definite ideas about how his music should be recorded too.  The studio became another musical instrument with Hendrix, everything would be panned about wildly, tape echo would be manipulated during solos to create strange effects and tracks were faded in and out at odd moments.  Any manner of equipment that he came into contact with was exploited to its full potential and way beyond.

What is left out of discussions about Hendrix is the issue of his race.  Rock until Hendrix had been a practically all-white genre.  Although early rockers, such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley were among the original exponents of rock ‘n’ roll their music was often placed squarely in the genre of Rhythm & Blues, partly as a consequence of racism.  This wasn’t possible with Hendrix and furthermore, his performance style was overtly sexual, even masturbatory at times.  Previous African American performers had been obligated to tone down their performances for white audiences but since Hendrix had established his act in the UK under the tutelage of ex-Animal Chas Chandler, he was relatively free to do what he wanted.  This was enormously liberating to fellow African American performers.

Hendrix was also steeped in the American music tradition and was musical omnivore.  Although he played rock, he drew on pretty much every other form of music he came into contact with.  Therefore, he opened his white audience’s ears to lots of African American music they might never have heard before.  He also demonstrated to other African American musicians that they could play rock too and white audiences would listen.  The Isley Brothers had criticised Hendrix for his rock guitar when he had played with them but would begin featuring ‘Hendrix-style’ guitar solos on their records.

He turned the whole rock scene upside down and would be gone before the seventies even truly got started.  Every rock musician since has been influenced by him and more than a few in every other genre.