James Marshall " Jimi " Hendrix ( born Johnny Allen Hendrix ; November 27 , 1942 – September 18 , 1970 ) was an American rock guitarist , singer , and songwriter . His mainstream career lasted only four years , but he is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in history and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century . The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as " the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music " . Born in Seattle , Washington , Hendrix began playing guitar at age 15 . In 1961 , he enlisted in the Army and trained as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division , but he was discharged the following year . He moved to Clarksville , Tennessee soon after and began playing gigs on the Chitlin ' Circuit , earning a place in the Isley Brothers ' backing band and later with Little Richard , with whom he continued to work through mid-1965 . He played with Curtis Knight and the Squires before moving to England in late 1966 after being discovered by Linda Keith , who interested bassist Chas Chandler of the Animals in becoming his first manager . Within months , Hendrix earned three UK top ten hits with the Jimi Hendrix Experience : " Hey Joe " , " Purple Haze " , and " The Wind Cries Mary " . He achieved fame in the U.S. after his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 , and his third and final studio album '' Electric Ladyland '' reached number one in the U.S. in 1968 ; it was Hendrix 's most commercially successful release and his only number-one album . He was the world 's highest-paid performer , and he headlined the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 . He died from barbiturate-related asphyxia on September 18 , 1970 , at age 27
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Death of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix