Hendrix

Not only was Jimi Hendrix one of the most innovative and original musicians of the past century, he was a huge symbol of the power of music in crossing over racial boundaries. In a time dominated by white, British Invasion rock bands, Hendrix proved that he could compete and surpass the bands who made their fame by ripping songs off of black blues, R&B and rock 'n' roll artists. Though he did draw extensively from blues in previous decades, Hendrix developed an exciting, creative, and unique sound that introduced essential modern rock elements (heavy use of effect pedals, amp feedback, etc) with a captivating live performance that can never quite be replicated. Thanks to Jimi Hendrix, the tradition of white performers in mainstream modern rock was broken. His influence remains stronger today even than it did at the time of his tragic young death.