September 18, 1970

Perhaps that date has no significance for you. It was, for me, the day the music died. It was the day the greatest guitar player, Jimi Hendix died. Are there greater performers in rock and roll? Sure. Are there other great guitar players? Yes. What sets Jimi Hendrix apart? In my mind it is that no matter where you are when a Jimi Hendrix song comes on and you hear that guitar you know who is playing. It isn't that you wonder, you know. No one before and no one since plays like that man did. You listen to his performance of the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. You hear the rockets, the bombs bursting in air. In his song Machine Gun you can hear the rat tat tat of a machine gun. The haunting notes of The Wind Cries Mary. Some people have a gift. Some can carve wood or stone into sculpture. Some can take a blank canvas and paint something beautiful. Jimi's gift was the magic he could create with a guitar. Take a little time today and listen to something he played. See if you hear the magic.