Lonnie Youngblood, born Lonnie Thomas, is an American saxophonist and bandleader best remembered for playing with Jimi Hendrix. He cored several R&B hits while recording steadily over the '60s and '70s, but is probably best remembered for hiring a young Jimi Hendrix and thus giving him the chance to play on one of his first professional sessions. He took up the saxophone after hearing his mother's favorite artist, Louis Jordan.