10 Classic Rock Artists That Died Too Soon

Guitarist John Mayer once said that the talent of a guitar player comes from their failure to be Jimi Hendrix, which isn't too far off the mark. The way that Hendrix inhibited his instrument was so natural that it felt like an extension of his entire being.

From his groundbreaking debut Are You Experienced onward, Hendrix laid the blueprint for many different forms of guitar playing, utilizing feedback and distortion in a way very few artists managed to do. However, as the 60's turned a corner, Hendrix found himself exhausted after the last few years of constant work. In mid September of 1970, Hendrix had been suffering from the flu and a lack of sleep when he came back to London.

After spending the night with his girlfriend, Hendrix took a handful of sleeping pills and ended up passing away in his sleep after choking through the night. When he was examined, the amount of drugs in his system was over 9x the initial dosage needed. In a single instant, the undisputed Guitar God had parted ways from this Earth.

Given Hendrix's spiritual connection, I'd like to think that he didn't leave us permanently but instead reached a more freeing plain of human existence.