"I can't express myself easy in conversation - the words just don't come right, " Jimi Hendrix once revealed. "But when I get up on stage - well, that's my whole life." And a remarkable life it was. When he took the stage, Hendrix, arguably the most talented guitarist in the history of rock music, wowed fans and fellow musicians alike with his technical mastery and outrageous theatrics. Flanked by his two British sidekicks, bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the flamboyantly dressed Hendrix would play with dervishlike energy, pushing the limits of his instrument to create a breath-taking range of sound - and frequently punctuating a performance by smashing or setting fire to his guitar. Though he died before his 28th birthday, Jimi Hendrix left behind an impressive body of songs, including such standards as "Purple Haze, " "Foxy Lady, " and "Crosstown Traffic, " and his innovative playing has influenced a host of later musicians and won him an audience even among fans born after his death.