Jimi Hendrix was possibly the greatest guitar player of all time, who has absolutely no ties to Whitney Young, but he could be quite the inspiration to all Whitney Young students who are very active in the performing arts, especially the guitarists.

Jimi was born in 1942 in Seattle, Washington. His father said that he noticed that Jimi had an interest music from when he was very young. His father bought him his first acoustic guitar from his father when he was 16, and a year later he got an electric guitar. So it’s the perfect time to start learning, Dolphins!

Unlike Whitney Young students, Hendrix didn’t know how to read when he was young. So it was especially hard for him to teach himself how to play the guitar. In fact, he did not even read notes when he first started. The important lesson here is to really listen and care about what you are playing rather than just blindly reading notes.

As we all know, Jimi Hendrix went on to be in many bands and to play in many songs. For example he was in the Band of Gypsys and was featured in the song Bleeding Heart by The Last Experience. Even though he only lived until he was 27, he still inspired many famous musicians. For example, John Mayer, guitarist and singer-songwriter, wrote an essay about him saying “[w]hen I listen to Hendrix, I just hear a man, and that’s when it’s most beautiful — when you remember that another human being was capable of what he achieved.” Another artist, John Frusciante, soloist and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, said “[h]is music always sounds perfect to me, because he’s bending sound, taking care of music in every dimension. Where most people think of it in two dimensions, he’s thinking of it in four. I don’t think there’s a better guitar player in history. He’s not something that can be improved on.” That is a pretty bold statement coming from and exceptional guitarist like Frusciante.

So Dolphins, you think you might have a true passion for guitar and you feel that your time would not be wasted pursuing that skill set, then you might as well try because you only live once. Who knows, maybe you’ll become the next John Mayer or John Frusciante, or maybe even the next Jimi Hendrix, and be featured on the Whitney Young hall of fame