Jimi Hendrix

Had rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix not died of complications from a drug overdose on Sept. 18, 1970, at the age of 27 there's no doubt he would have continued to contribute great works of art not only in the pop world but also in the jazz realm. At the time of his death, he was preparing to collaborate with Miles Davis, who was fascinated with his searing music. Hendrix was born in Seattle on Nov. 27, 1942. A fan of …

…Blues, a retrospective collection of blues-infused tunes recorded throughout his brief career. While Blues is another in a long train of posthumous Hendrix releases, it comprises largely unheard performances that point to how heavily Hendrix leaned on blues fundamentals when he was a mega rock star wowing capacity crowds with his fiery guitar assaults. Today, Hendrix's albums continue to be best-sellers. In 1970, Hendrix was elected by the Readers into the Down Beat Hall of Fame.