Jimi Hendrix was a wannabe comedian but his drug use interfered with his joking skills, according to roadie Lemmy.

The Motorhead star learned all about rock 'n' roll from the tragic guitar great - but he admits his boss' attempts at humour always fell short.

Lemmy tells Revolver magazine, "He made very bad jokes because he was so out of his mind. People couldn't figure out what he was talking about by the time he was finished."

But the heavy rocker insists Hendrix didn't need to be funny - because he was great at everything else.

He adds, "I learned about theatrics and performing. He was so effortlessly cool and he would move like an elegant spider... (and) he was certainly the best guitar player you'll ever see, probably ever."