In any conversation about the greatest guitarists, certain names stand out: Jimmy Page with his iconic riffs, Angus Young with his electrifying performances, and Robert Fripp with his inventive style. Yet one name seems to eclipse them all: Jimi Hendrix.
Hendrix’s journey with the guitar began in childhood. By the early 1960s, he was a session musician, playing alongside legends like Sam Cooke. He later stepped into the spotlight with his solo work, debuting with “Hey Joe” in 1965. From there, Hendrix redefined what it meant to play guitar. His approach was almost vocal, with guitar lines that mimicked human expression. With tools like a Fuzz Face pedal, a Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, and Marshall stacks, he used distortion and feedback in a way that was both powerful and unconventional, as shown in tracks like the anti-war anthem, “Machine Gun.”
Hendrix’s influence has inspired generations of guitarists to pick up the instrument, explore effects pedals, and master classics like “Purple Haze” and “Voodoo Child.” But who first inspired Hendrix himself to take up the guitar?
Before he forged a legacy as the world’s greatest guitarist, Hendrix found his earliest influence in blues legend Muddy Waters. In a conversation with Rolling Stone, Hendrix recalled Waters as the first guitarist who made a major impact on him. Interestingly, it wasn’t love at first listen—Waters’s music actually frightened Hendrix as a child.
“I heard one of his old records when I was a little boy, and it scared me to death,” he said, recalling the intensity of Waters’s sound.
But this initial fear sparked a curiosity that soon evolved into a lifelong passion.
Listening to songs like “Mannish Boy” and “Rollin’ Stone,” it’s easy to understand why Waters captivated Hendrix. Waters was a key figure in the Chicago blues scene, influencing not only Hendrix but many other rock legends, including the Rolling Stones and Angus Young. Waters’s impact stretched across decades, shaping the sounds of countless guitarists who would follow.
Hendrix also admired blues guitarist Albert King, calling him “one of the funkiest I’ve heard.” King’s soulful tracks like “Born Under a Bad Sign” and “I’ll Play the Blues for You” reveal a style that likely influenced Hendrix’s own work, especially his more groove-centered songs.
It’s almost hard to imagine Hendrix being inspired by anyone, given the mythic status he achieved. But Waters’s influence sparked the very journey that would lead Hendrix to transform rock music. In his hands, the guitar became an instrument of fearless experimentation.
Through fuzz, feedback, and pure passion, Hendrix created sounds that would leave audiences in awe and inspire a legacy of players who sought to follow in his footsteps. Decades after his passing, Hendrix remains one of the greatest to ever pick up the guitar, a legend who learned from the best and went on to inspire generations.
