There are certain musicians whose names are inextricably linked with an instrument. In rock circles, drums almost always mean John Bonham, while the piano is Elton John’s instrument to claim.
When it comes to the guitar, well, there can only be one. Of course, it’s Jimi Hendrix.
In fact, Hendrix elevates himself above the musical comparisons I previously mentioned. He transcends the industry, like a Pablo Picasso would with art. Because it only takes a couple minutes of watching him play live to understand him as the truest version of a virtuoso, someone who has mastered every corner of an instrument that he can take it to new heights.
Let’s also take stock of where music was when Hendrix emerged onto the scene. Yes, The Beatles were dominating the charts and doing so from the comfort of the studio. Without touring, the band were stretching the realms of possibility and redefining what pop music meant.
But in the shadows of their giant was a burgeoning blues scene in the 1960s. In England’s capital, the stars of tomorrow were forging their careers in the dingy bars of the late-night scene, playing raucous blues hits. Jimmy Page was somewhat of a mainstay, playing in several different bands, while Eric Clapton was never too far away doing the same thing. Together, they created an unyielding appetite for heavy blues music.
But then Hendrix came to town and ripped the scene wide open. The immense talent of Page, Clapton and even Brian Jones, Peter Green and Jeff Beck were paled into wild mediocrity, as the American stepped in and elevated guitar playing. Relatively unknown in the scene at this point, his first gig took place on September 26th, 1966, at the ‘bijoux Mayfair’ nightclub and within one week he was on stage with Clapton and Cream, leading them down an unknown path of instrumental genius.
With every show, his legend cemented itself, and across both ponds, he was soon known as the world’s greatest guitarist. But it was praise he was keen to shrug off, for he too was just another guitarist in a lineage of influence. While he will go down as the most referenced guitarist of all time, in terms of modern influence, he, too, had heroes whom he cited.
When he once appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, Douglas asked Hendrix: “What’s it was like to be the best rock guitarist in the world?” and, pausing for a moment, Jimi then beautifully responded: “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Rory Gallagher”. The Irish guitarist’s name often eludes the tongue of your average music fan, but in musician circles, his brilliance is well known.
Aside from the fact that he released 14 studio albums that went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, his biggest achievement is the credit he’s often reserved for being a key player in establishing the blues movement. “There’s one cat I’m still trying to get across to people,” he said: “He is really good, one of the best guitarists in the world.” He was a mainstay in the Texas scene of the 1950s and ‘60s, laying the foundations for what Hendrix would go on to develop.
While Gallagher took care of things this side of the pond, another major blues player and influence for Hendrix was Albert ‘The Iceman’ Collins, who, like Gallagher, Hendrix believed was severely undercredited for his role in influencing the blues scene.
