American guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix is considered one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in rock music history. Hendrix helped develop the technique of guitar feedback with overdriven amplifiers. He was influenced by blues artists such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Albert King, and Elmore James, rhythm and blues and soul guitarists Curtis Mayfield, Steve Cropper, as well as by some modern jazz.

After initial success in Europe, he achieved fame in the USA following his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, then in August 1969, Hendrix headlined the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Due to long delays caused by bad weather and other logistical problems, Hendrix did not appear on stage until the Monday morning, by which time the audience, which had peaked at over 500,000 people, had been reduced to, at most, 180,000, many of whom merely waited to catch a glimpse of Hendrix before leaving. Hendrix delivered a two hour set (the longest of his career), a historic performance, which featured his highly-regarded rendition of the The Star-Spangled Banner, a solo improvisation which stands as a special symbol of the 1960’s era.