Jeff Beck holds a prominent place among the great rock guitarists. There’s a reason why many of the best musicians from 1960s and ’70s London wanted to join the Jeff Beck Group. However, Beck himself believes everything truly became interesting when an American guitarist appeared on the scene.
It’s easy to guess who that guitarist was. “For me, the first shockwave was Jimi Hendrix,” Beck said, pointing to Hendrix as the player who changed everything. This statement is hardly surprising, as it’s difficult to find a guitarist who doesn’t acknowledge the profound influence Hendrix had during his brief 27 years.
Countless musicians have paid tribute to Hendrix over the years, highlighting his extraordinary impact. “He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them,” said Bob Dylan. “There was so much music in him. A great improviser playing with such freedom,” added Herbie Hancock.
Even musicians from different genres, like The Cure’s Robert Smith, have credited Hendrix with inspiring their careers. Smith, who came from a very different musical background, stated, “Hendrix was the first person who made me think it might be good to be a singer and a guitarist — before that I wanted to be a footballer.”
For Beck, the reason Hendrix remains so celebrated is because he completely revitalized the music scene. He refers to Hendrix as a “shockwave,” a force that reshaped everything in its path. Beck describes Hendrix as a revolutionary figure whose arrival reset all the established rules. “That was the major thing that shook everybody up over here,” Beck explained. “Even though we’d all established ourselves as fairly safe in the guitar field, he came along and reset all of the rules in one evening.”
Beck recalls Hendrix’s London debut on October 25, 1966, at Scotch of St. James as a pivotal moment that transformed the local music scene. Eric Clapton was in the audience, amazed by Hendrix’s performance. The Who’s management was there to check him out, and Paul McCartney reportedly attended as well. In the weeks and years that followed, other major figures in British rock, including members of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, were seen at Hendrix’s shows, deeply moved by his talent. These experiences pushed the best guitarists in London to raise their standards.
Beck remembers his own first encounter with Hendrix’s music, saying, “He came on, and I went, ‘Oh, my God.’ He had the military outfit on and hair that stuck out all over the place. They kicked off with (Bob Dylan’s) ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, and I thought, ‘Well, I used to be a guitarist.’” The two musicians would later jam together in Los Angeles, with Hendrix even playing Beck’s guitar.
For Beck, Hendrix’s arrival marked a complete transformation in the music world. Though Hendrix passed away far too young, his legacy continues to inspire musicians to this day.
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