Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music". Born in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. In 1961, he enlisted in the
Freedom (Jimi Hendrix song) The lyrics "Keep on pushing straight ahead..." towards the end of the song are most likely a reference to the Curtis Mayfield song "Keep On Pushing" from the album of the same name. Mayfield was a major influence on Hendrix, from whom he borrowed much of his R&B rhythm guitar style, as heard on recordings such as "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" and "Little Wing". "Straight ahead" is a phrase which features on several tracks from the period—and it was one of the titles considered for his fourth studio album. Freedom (Jimi Hendrix song) "Freedom" is a song