The guitarist Mick Jagger said was out of everybody’s league: “Could play the ass off anyone”
Mick Jagger praised Jimi Hendrix as an exceptional guitarist, saying he “could play the ass off anyone” and could match B.B. King as a blues player. The article presents Hendrix’s arrival in London as a turning point for the city’s music scene, where his unconventional, high-energy playing made a strong impression on fellow musicians.
Hendrix had developed his skills playing with the Isley Brothers and Little Richard before arriving in Britain in 1966. Keith Richards also described him as a figure who transformed how guitarists played. Jagger recalled becoming an instant fan after seeing Hendrix in 1967, and described him as exciting and talented; Hendrix died in 1970.
- Jagger considered Hendrix an outstanding guitarist and blues player.
- Hendrix’s 1966 arrival shook up London’s music scene.
- Richards said Hendrix changed how guitarists approached the instrument.
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Jimi Hendrix was an American guitarist who built his reputation playing with acts including the Isley Brothers and Little Richard. He came to Britain in 1966, when London had a busy music scene and many bands were experimenting with new sounds.
Hendrix became known for an energetic, unconventional style that drew attention from other musicians. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were among those who admired his playing, and Hendrix’s influence is often discussed in accounts of how guitar music changed in the late 1960s. He died in 1970.