Hendrix was an amazing innovator as a guitarist. When I was a kid, he was one of the most influential people in my life because he was black and in the rock and roll world. That's basically what Chic was. We became a dance band only because we could never get signed as a rock and roll band. I was playing rock and roll throughout all my early childhood. Hendrix stood out there like a black rock warrior. He was the only guy that was really out there doing it. He was the ultimate role model.