Generally considered to be the foremost electric guitarist of his very brief era, Jimi Hendrix continues to top the Rolling Stones Best Guitarist poll up to the present day.  His mix of talent, dexterity, bravado and sheer energy stood out in an era crowded with guitarists.  His mastery extended to composition, electronics, recording technique and he was a first-class singer in a genre that he helped to define.  His was a short life lived in the fast lane.