Eric Clapton
ERIC CLAPTON
Have you ever heard of Eric Clapton’s song “Layla”? Well, it’s a really good song. When you think of an artist such as Eric you would think how did he come up with that sound in his music and there is an answer. His music is influenced by the old catchy blues genre. Eric Clapton is an English guitarist and songwriter who was mainly influenced by blues, who is referred to as one of the most influential guitarists of all time. ITS ALL ABOUT THE BLUES ROCK When we think about blues a thing that comes to our mind is African Americans playing that catchy sound that characterizes blues. But as time advanced several genres of music deviated from blues and one of them is the famous blues-rock. Blues-rock is a music genre that has the sound of the twelve-bar blues combined with a rock and roll style. This sub-genre began to develop in the mid-1960s with bands from the UK and the US experimenting with the music from older American bluesmen. As time progressed by the early 70s you couldn’t really tell the difference between blues-rock and hard rock.
HOW DID IT ALL START?
Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England. He was raised in a musical household. At the age of thirteenth, he asked for a guitar and got it, but Eric thought it wasn’t a really good one so he lost interest. Two years later was when really started to play and practice. As a young teenager, he grew up listening to blues music on the radio. He became passionate about the music with time and in 1963 was when he joined his first band; one that was influenced the blues and rock and roll sound. He remained in this band until 1965. Eric got into more bands as time passed. It was until the early 70s that he started his solo career.
WHERE DID HIS SOUND come FROM?
Eric Clapton grew up listening to blues music. In his early years, he listened to Big ball crazy and Muddy Waters. Other guitar influences are Freddie King, BB King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Hubert Sumlin. But his most important influence is Robert Johnson a bluesman. Johnson was important to him that Eric Clapton has a CD called “Me and Mr. Johnson. ” “I kind of got hooked on it because it was so much more powerful than anything else I had heard or was listening to. Amongst all of his peers, I felt he was the one that was talking from his soul without really compromising for anybody. “In one way or another, he’s been in my life since I was a kid,” Clapton says. He says the project “has been in the back of my head to do for so long. It was about time that I took my hat off to him. ” (Edward) The thing that gets my attention is that all of his influences were related to the blues genre and that says a lot about what sound he was trying to achieve with his music.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Eric Clapton is referred to as one of the most important guitarists of all time. He has been inducted three times to Rock and Roll Hall of fame; 2 times as part of a group and 1 in his solo career. His career not only has been successful but he has inspired many musicians that grew up listening to him. The world of music has recognized Eric Clapton as one of the most influential guitarists of all time and that he was mainly influenced by blues music. Such a good guitarist that he has influenced many other musicians. CONCLUSION Eric Clapton is recognized as one of the most influential guitarists of all time. He grew up listening to blues music and that was what made his music be what it is now. His music is so good that people are still listening to his songs.
