Jimi Hendrix: Do You Hate or Love the Late Guitar Hero?

Perhaps no other rock & roll guitarist has been more electrifying in the history of rock music than the man, who was named Johnny at birth, then re-named James but later named himself… Jimi Hendrix.

In the midst of the religious, ethnic, and political persecution inflicted upon African-Americans in the United States, during the Civil Rights era, Jimi ’the sorcerer’ Hendrix unleased his Voodoo Child fury onto the world in 1967.

Along with guitarist-turned-bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, Jimi pioneered the original sounds in rock music history and set the rock guitar standard that is often imitated, but never equaled. Because of obvious reasons, many Jimi haters almost always will not openly admit that fact to anyone. Have you ever wondered why some so-called rock guitar enthusiasts almost always hate Jimi Hendrix? Incredible, isn’t it?

Jimi Hendrix was a self-taught, left-handed pioneer of rock guitar, who played a right-handed guitar upside-down with the strings re-strung for a left-hander. The guitar god’s debut album, Are You Experienced, continues to set the standard against which all other rock guitarists are measured. Ultimately, he had mastered the craft to become the rock guitar legend of all times. His guitar virtuosity, powered by overdriven amplifiers, is second to none. Period!

But, I digress… I would like to publicly acknowledge respected rock guitarists of the past fifty years. I have only posted 22 other guitarists, each of whom I deemed great Guitar Heroes:

Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Tony Iommi*, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Brian May, George Harrison, Randy Rhoads, Kirk Hammett, Keith Richards, Angus Young, Lita Ford, Joan Jett, Saul “Slash” Hudson, George “Buddy” Guy

In my most humble opinion, Jimi Hendrix is the Grand Master Ruler against which all other guitarists are measured, a fact to which I’m sticking like celebrity photographers on the latest celeb news.

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”

“Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel.”