How Did Jimi Hendrix Influence The American Folk Movement

American Folk Music
Folk music has been in the heart of the nation for generations. Early artists appeared around the time of the Great Depression as the voice of the nation and a shoulder to lean on. The 1960s was also an era of change and unrest, and like the artists that came before them, 60s folk artists represented the outrage and spirit of the American people.

Early Influences:
- Woody Guthrie o Early 30s o Most well known for the song, “This land is your land” which, recorded at the time of the Depression, was intended to lift the spirits of average Americans
- Pete Seeger

Figures of the Early 1960s:
- Bob Dylan o Considered to be the most influential figure of the 1960s Folk movement o Started his career playing in New York coffeehouses o Many of his songs were politically
When he mixed these influences with hard drugs and rock and roll, it sent shocks down the spine of the music industry. Hendrix, along with Janis Joplin, created an edgy, soulful sound that would create a phenomenon.

- Jimi Hendrix 1967 o “Expanded the vocabulary of the electric guitar more than anyone else before or since.”
 Innovative, Experimental o Had played in several R&B groups (none of which favored his “showmanship”
 Little Richard
 The Isley Brothers
 King Curtis o Chas Chandler of the Animals discovered him in a New York Club
 Became his manager and encouraged him to move to London where he made it as a solo artist
 Created the backup band for Hendrix that would be known as the Jimmy Hendrix Experience o “Hey Joe”(their first single), “Purple Haze,” and “The Wind Cries Mary” hit the UK charts in early 1967 o Album, Are You Experienced? was extremely successful in the US upon their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival that June o Guitar style included:
 Wah-wah pedals
 Feedback