Death of Jimi Hendrix Death of Jimi Hendrix On September 18, 1970, and at the age of 27, the American musician Jimi Hendrix died in London. One of the most influential guitarists of the 1960s, he was described by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music." For some days Hendrix had been in poor health, due in part to fatigue caused by overworking, a chronic lack of sleep, and an illness assumed to be influenza-related. Insecurities about his personal relationships and disillusionment with the music industry had also contributed to his frustration. Although
Janis Joplin "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die" (1967). At the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival, Nina Simone, whom Joplin admired greatly, commented on Joplin and referred to the documentary "Janis" (1975) that evidently was screened at the festival: The film "The Rose" (1979) is loosely based on Joplin's life. Originally planned to be titled "Pearl"—Joplin's nickname and the title of her last album—the film was fictionalized after her family declined to allow the producers the rights to her story. Bette Midler earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. In 1988, on what would have been Joplin's 45th birthday,