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Famous Guitarists: Eric Clapton | Arcam HiFi and Home Cinema Systems

The first, published blues music was ‘Dallas Blues’ in 1912, but the blues predates that by at least 20 years and possibly a great deal more. The first recordings of blues music were made for research purposes and have since been lost along with any record of the precise where when and why. Blues seem to have arisen in the period after the emancipation of slaves in the USA and some aspects of the music, such as blue notes, seem to originate (not surprisingly) with the music of Africa. In other ways there was originally little difference between ‘blues’ and ‘country’ as they grew up together in the early part of the 20th century, yet ‘blues’ was identified with black musicians, while ‘country’ was predominately white. It seems strange then that while the blues is steeped in the culture of the American deep South, one of the most famous blue guitarists is a white guy from the UK, Eric Clapton.

American blues made the transition to the UK largely because of black American soldiers who were stationed in the UK during the second World War.  In 1958 Muddy Waters played electric blues for the first time in Britain to shocked audiences, unaccustomed to the amplified electric sound and heavy beat. Many were captivated and while the cultural differences could not have been greater, British Blues was born. The Rolling Stones even took their name from a Muddy Waters song, ‘Rollin Stone’.

Co-incidentally 1958 was the year Eric Clapton got his first guitar. Born in Ripley in Surrey and brought up my his grandmother, Clapton found the guitar difficult and nearly gave up, but he enjoyed listening to blues music on his tape recorder and spent a lot of time practicing to get the chords right. He left school in 1961 and went to art college, but only lasted a year. In 1962 he asked his grandparents help to buy an electric guitar, (a Gibson ES-335 clone) Already it was clear that music, not art was his major interest. He began busking and performing in pubs with a  friend, then when he was 17 he joined a band called ‘The Roosters’ while supporting himself by working as a bricklayer.

In 1963 he joined another group called the Yardbirds and began to create an original sound and style, heavily influenced by blues music. Although the Yardbirds were successful their first major hit was not a blues song and in protest Clapton left to join John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and then in 1966 he formed Cream. Cream disbanded in 1968.

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