In the 1960s, Eric Clapton transformed from a local art student into a global “guitar god,” defining the sound of British blues and psychedelic rock. His decade was marked by a restless search for musical purity, leading him through several of the era's most influential bands.
Clapton joined the Yardbirds as lead guitarist in 1963 while still a teenager. He developed his blues-rooted style there, but left in 1965 when the band moved toward a more pop-oriented sound, famously unwilling to compromise his devotion to the blues.
Joining “finishing school” John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (1965–1966) for blues musicians, he recorded the landmark Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (the “Beano” album). His aggressive, overdriven tone on this record inspired the famous "Clapton is God" graffiti across London.
Alongside Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, Clapton formed the first “supergroup” in 1966. They pioneered high-volume, improvisational blues-rock and heavy psychedelia with hits like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room.”
After Cream dissolved, Clapton formed Blind Faith with Steve Winwood, which lasted only one album but was hugely anticipated.
During his time with Cream, Clapton perfected a thick, singing lead sound produced by rolling off the tone control on his Gibson guitar, a technique still studied by guitarists today. He moved from a red Telecaster in the Yardbirds to the “Beano” Gibson Les Paul, then to the famous psychedelic-painted “The Fool” Gibson SG during the Cream era, before eventually shifting toward the Fender Stratocaster by the late 1960s.
His look shifted from the sharp, mod suits of The Yardbirds to the wild “Afro” hair and vibrant, bohemian fashion of the late-1960s psychedelic scene. By 1969, Clapton was a worldwide superstar, having been one of the first musicians to bridge the gap between traditional American blues and modern stadium rock.
One of rock music's more forgettable faces.
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