Jimi Hendrix is to be honored on a new United States forever stamp on March 13, 2014. Hendrix (1942-70) skyrocketed to fame with his mastery of the electric guitar. He literally transformed the world of rock music in the 1960s with his innovations and technical skills. As a lead singer, songwriter and the guitarist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, he recorded just three studio albums before his untimely death at the age of 27.

Hendrix has even been indentified as the best guitarist of all time by “Rolling Stone” magazine. Hendrix was also a 1992 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is described there as “arguably the greastest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.” Hendrix was the stuff of legends.

The new stamp is the fourth issue in the Music Icons series that has honored Lydia Mendoza, Johnny Cash, and Ray Charles with forever stamps The first-day ceremony for the Jimi Hendrix stamp took place at 8 p.m. at the South by southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. The Postal Service did not reveal the stamp’s design before March 13, 2014.

The image used on the stamp is a painting of Hendrix by Rudy Gutierrez, who created the artwork for the 2002 album “Shaman” by Santana. The Hendrix stamp is his first project for the Postal Service. USPS art director Greg Breeding also worked on the Hendrix stamp project. Johnny Allen Hendrix was born Nov. 27, 1942 in Seattle, Wash. His parents legally changed his name to James when he was four.

After a brief stint in the Army, Hendrix worked as a guitarist in various clubs, later joined a number of backup bands, and supported the Isley Brothers and Little Richard. Hendrix moved to England and formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience with two British musicians. The band recored the hit singles “Hey Joe” and “Purple Haze.” The band’s performance of their debut album “Are You Experienced” transfixed the crowd at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

The Hendrix Experience toured and recorded two more albums before they dissolved the band. Now having achieved world-wide fame, Jimi Hendrix headlined the 1969 Woodstock music and art festival in sullivan County, N.Y. Hendrix continued to tour with various musicians in the United States and Europe. Unfortunately, Jimi Hendrix died in London on sept 16, 1970, following an overdose of barbiturates. A sad ending to a promising career.