James marshall " jimi " hendrix (born johnny allen hendrix; Dec 25, 2025jimi hendrix, american rock guitarist, singer, and composer who fused american traditions of blues, jazz, rock, and soul with british avant-garde rock to redefine the electric guitar. Widely regarded as the greatest and most influential guitarist in rock history, jimi hendrix was born on november 27, 1942 in seattle, washington, to african-american.