JIMI HENDRIX:

In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. He was a legendary songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.

Hendrix became international superstar in 1967 when a group was built around him, also featuring Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass, which was dubbed the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The trio became stars with astonishing speed in the U.K., where "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze," and "The Wind Cries Mary" all made the Top Ten in the first half of 1967.

He disbanded the Experience in 1969, forming the Band of Gypsies with drummer Buddy Miles and bassist Billy Cox to pursue funkier directions. He closed Woodstock with a now famous, moving, machine-gun interpretation of "The Star Spangled Banner."