The one guitarist that changed Jimi Hendrix’s life: “It scared me to death”
The late Jimi Hendrix remains the ultimate guitarist. Although he possessed a gift for the instrument that would never be seen again, when Hendrix first started out, he was just like anybody else attempting to play their first chords and emulate the songs on the radio.
Hendrix didn’t miraculously become the best guitarist the world has ever seen without putting endless hours into perfecting his craft. As much as he had a natural skill for the guitar, he was also shaped by heroes who put him on the path to his destiny.
While Hendrix didn’t have the privilege of enjoying a prolonged career on the scale of contemporaries such as Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton, his impact remains second to none. As the most recognisable guitarist to have ever walked the earth, Hendrix’s blueprints remain entrenched in rock ‘n’ roll and will never be erased.
Although he only was present in the industry for seven years, Hendrix achieved more in that short period than most artists cram into a lifetime. He caressed his weapon of choice carefully and blew the roof of any building he entered, earning him status as a mythical figure even while he was still alive. It didn’t take long after his arrival in 1966 for Hendrix to be the star of London and the name on everybody’s lips. The biggest names in the industry, from Paul McCartney to Pete Townshend, admired his mercurial ability, and within a matter of months, he was hot property.
Of course, it’s a matter of subjectivity whether Hendrix is the greatest guitarist to have ever lived, but it’s an objective fact that he’s the most iconic. It may have seemed like he was dropped from the heavens to redefine rock ‘n’ roll. Still, Hendrix owed a considerable amount to Muddy Waters, the musician responsible for sparking his love affair with the instrument.
Waters was the father of the Delta blues and the king of Chicago. The blues legend played a monumental role in reshaping culture following World War II, and without him, guitar music would be unrecognisable today.
The blues pioneer was also an instrumental figure in the lives of Jimmy Page and Keith Richards. The latter once said about accomplishing his dream of playing with Waters: “You want to be a blues player, the next minute you fucking well are and you’re stuck right amongst them, and there’s Muddy Waters standing next to you. It happens so fast you really can’t register all of the impressions that are coming at you… It’s one thing to play a Muddy Waters song. It’s another thing to play with him.”
Although Hendrix never had the chance to play with Waters, he never forgot his fellow compatriot’s impact on him as an impressionable youth. Throughout his short career, Hendrix spoke about those he idolised during his childhood. Waters mattered to him more than most, and in one interview, he vividly recalled being transfixed by his playing style.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 1968, he said, “The first guitarist I was aware of was Muddy Waters. I heard one of his old records when I was a little boy, and it scared me to death because I heard all of those sounds. Wow, what is that all about? It was great.”
Hendrix continued to reminisce: “I used to like Elmore James and early Muddy Waters and stuff like that. Robert Johnson and all those old cats.”
After discovering Waters, Hendrix quickly became obsessed with everything guitar-related. His love for Waters never dissipated, and famously, he covered ‘Mannish Boy’ by Waters, which showcases his appreciation for his childhood hero.
Admittedly, Hendrix crafted his unique style, which sounded like nobody else when he was successful. However, even Jimi Hendrix needed to start from somewhere, and his adoration of Waters was a crucial wake-up call that propelled him into the history books.
