jimi hendrix
A self-taught guitarist who developed into a virtuoso and became the most accomplished and influential musician in the history of rock music. Hendrix spent years traveling on the chitlin circuit, learning the blues and honing his craft. He landed in New York's Harlem and Greenwich Village, trying to make a name for himself and nearly starving to death. He caught a break by going to England and showing them what an authentic bluesman really is. From October 1966 to September 1970 Hendrix took music to heights in had never been. Drugs, women, and the music business killed him at age 27. 
Dude, when Jimi Hendrix played that solo with his teeth I fell out of my chair.