Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 ? c. April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle-based grunge band Nirvana.

With the lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from Nirvana's second album Nevermind (1991), Cobain with Nirvana entered into the mainstream, bringing along with them a subgenre of alternative rock called grunge. Other Seattle grunge bands such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden also gained popularity, and, as a result, alternative rock became a dominant genre on radio and music television in the United States during the early-to-middle 1990s. As Nirvana's frontman, Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the "spokesman of a generation", with Nirvana the "flagship band" of "Generation X".Azerrad, Michael. "Inside the Heart and Mind of Nirvana." Rolling Stone. April 16, 1992. Cobain was uncomfortable with the attention and placed his focus on the band's music, believing the band's message and artistic vision to have been misinterpreted by the public, challenging the band's audience with its third studio album In Utero (1993).

During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with drug addiction and the media pressures surrounding him and his wife, Courtney Love. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead in his home in Seattle, the victim of what was officially ruled a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. In ensuing years, the circumstances of his death became a topic of fascination and debate.

He was ranked #45 Greatest Singer of All Time, by Rolling Stone magazine.

James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27, 1942 ? September 18, 1970) was an influential American guitarist, singer and songwriter whose guitar playing was a considerable influence on rock music. After initial success in Europe, he achieved fame in the United States following his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Later, Hendrix headlined the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Hendrix helped develop the technique of guitar feedback with overdriven amplifiers. He was influenced by blues artists such as B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Albert King, and Elmore James,The Making Of Are You Experienced by Sean Egan, A Cappella books, 2002, interview with Lonnie Youngblood.Jimi Hendrix, Musician by Keith Shadwick, Backbeat books 2003, p. 39.Blues CD, MCA, sleeve notes by Jeff Hannusch, p. 2.A Film About Jimi Hendrix deluxe ed. DVD, Warner Bros. sp. feat: From The Ukelele to the Strat, Faye Pridgeon Interview. rhythm and blues and soul guitarists Curtis Mayfield, Steve Cropper, as well as by some modern jazz.Mary Willix, voices from home 195, pages 28, 38, 73.

Carlos Santana has suggested that Hendrix's music may have been influenced by his Native American heritage. As a record producer, Hendrix also broke new ground in using the recording studio as an extension of his musical ideas. He was one of the first to experiment with stereophonic and phasing effects for rock recording.

Hendrix won many of the most prestigious rock music awards in his lifetime, and has been posthumously awarded many more, including being inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. An English Heritage "Blue plaque" was erected in his name on his former residence at Brook Street, London, in September 1997. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (at 6627 Hollywood Blvd.) was dedicated in 1994. In 2006, his debut US album, Are You Experienced, was inducted into the United States National Recording Registry, and Rolling Stone named Hendrix the top guitarist on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003.

Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 ? October 4, 1970) was an American singer, songwriter,and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Joplin number 46 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and number 28 on its 2008 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list.