Jimi Hendrix was an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in the history of rock music. He achieved fame in the 1960s with his band The Jimi Hendrix Experience and is best known for songs such as 'Purple Haze', 'Hey Joe' and 'The Wind Cries Mary'. His innovative style of playing combined elements of blues, jazz, rock and funk and he was also one of the first guitarists to use distortion and feedback.