Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the Black community and reflect on experiences and accomplishments. So all month we’re highlighting some of the iconic black artists who’ve changed rock n’ roll.

Starting with an American musician/singer-songwriter: Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix is recognized around the world as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of music.

He starting teaching himself to play a $5 acoustic guitar the year his mother passed away, he was only 15 years old. A year later he picked up an electric guitar. He actually started playing guitar with his teeth, which eventually became a part of his amazing stage presence which also included playing upside down, behind his back, and even setting his guitar on fire, like at Monterey.

He faced many difficulties not only in his childhood, but throughout his career as well.

Just two weeks after Jimi Hendrix closed Woodstock, he decided put on a free concert in Harlem, where he previously lived, for a group he called “my people.” The concert was held for an African-American audience. However during the show, someone threw a glass bottle at him on stage, among eggs and other things. However even with some of the crowd heckling or leaving, he carried on.

Hendrix told the New York Times, “Sometimes when I come up here, people say, ‘He plays white rock for white people. What’s he doing up here?’ Well, I want to show them that music is universal – that there is no white rock or black rock.”

Throughout his career, he did break down boundaries between the genres of rock, blues, soul, and jazz. His first top singles were “Hey Joe”, “Purple Haze” and “The Wind Cries Mary”, released with his band The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

On September 18th, 1970 he tragically passed away of an accidental overdose at the age of 27.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as “arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music”.