Heralded as
"one of the most successful classical musicians of his time", Nigel Kennedy, (born in 1956), is a
British violinist who tried to shake up the world of
classical music with his outlandish clothes and
hair-do's. In my opinion, his most memorable TV performance was when he played a
cover version of the
Jimi Hendrix classic
Purple Haze on his
Stradivarius. In fact, Nigel Kennedy released a
Hendrix tribute album in 1999, "The Kennedy Experience".
In addition to his classical performances and Hendrix work, Nigel Kennedy has also collaborated with Jaz Coleman, of Killing Joke fame. Coleman proposed recording classical arrangements of The Doors songs. The resulting album, "The Doors Concerto", was released in October, 2000.
"Kennedy", as he preferred to be known, is also on the board of Aston Villa football club.