On this day in 1967, groundbreaking guitarist Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) released the psychedelic anthem Purple Haze. With fearless imagination and audacity, he redefined what rock and roll could sound like.

“Imagination is the key to my lyrics,” Hendrix once said. “The rest is painted with a little science fiction.”

Born in Seattle and raised partly in Canada, Hendrix taught himself to play guitar by ear, drawing inspiration from legends like B.B. King and Chuck Berry. Left-handed and unconventional, he turned every performance into a visceral, spiritual experience.

Whether playing the guitar behind his back, with his teeth, or setting it on fire, Hendrix made sound visual. His performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock became an unforgettable protest against war — a cry of distortion, beauty, and rage.

Rolling Stone photographer Jim Marshall reflected, “Jimi was extremely confident, very sensual, and very sure of himself, but not arrogant.”

He inspired generations of musicians — Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan among them. The Who's Pete Townshend once said, “With Jimi, I didn't have any envy. I never had any sense I could come close.”

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens,” Hendrix observed. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, he was later named the #1 rock guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2003. His riffs still light the sky.