The #15 Guitarist of the Rock Era: Robert Fripp

Inside the Rock Era has presented 85 of The Top 100 Guitarists of the Rock Era*.  We've looked over the lists that others have presented.  The exact rankings are immaterial, and no one is going to agree 100% with any list out there, unless it is your personal one (!), but of the credible lists that have been released, we strongly believe this list includes most of the most talented guitarists, known and unknown to the general public, who have stood the test of time, inspired others to pick up a guitar, and who have stretched the boundaries of the instrument for future generations.


#15 is a prolific guitarist who has brought his unique sound to the Rock Era party for 45 years:

#15:  Robert Fripp, King Crimson, Solo
45 years as an active guitarist

Robert Fripp was born May 16, 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England.  Fripp is a master of crosspicking on the guitar, a technique usually more associated with banjo playing.  Fripp is the only member of King Crimson to have played in all of its incarnations.  Fripp has played on more than 1,000 albums in his career.

Fripp started playing guitar at age 11 and began professionally in 1967 when he responded for an advertisement by bassist Peter Giles and drummer Michael Giles.  The trio released two singles and an album, The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp.

Following the breakup of the group, Fripp and Michael Giles formed King Crimson in 1968 with Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield and Ian McDonald.  Crimson's first album, In the Court of the Crimson King, was released in 1969 and is generally recognized as being one of the most influential albums in the field of progressive rock.  Giles and McDonald had musical differences however, and King Crimson broke up after the release of the album, only to be re-formed several times since.


Fripp remained committed, and recruited new members.  King Crimson went through several lineup changes before Fripp disbanded them in 1974. 

During times in which the group was not active, Fripp has participated in several projects.  He worked with Keith Tippett on the albums Septober Energy in 1971 and Ovary Lodge in 1973.  Fripp also worked with Van der Graaf Generator and collaborated with Brian Eno for the albums No Pussyfooting in 1973 and Evening Star in 1974.  These two albums featured Fripp's experiment with a tape delay on dual reel to reel tape machines, ultimately called Frippertronics.  


Robert performed the outstanding guitar solo on "Baby's on Fire" on Eno's debut solo album Here Come the Warm Jets in 1974.  Fripp and Eno continued their partnership in 1975 with several live shows in Europe, and Fripp also played guitar solos on Eno's album Another Green World.  


Fripp spent some time outside the music industry in the 1970's, studying the teachings of Gurdjieff.  When he returned, he played guitar for Peter Gabriel on Peter's debut solo album in 1977.  He toured with Gabriel afterwards and also played on and produced Gabriel's second album the following year.


In 1977, Fripp played guitar on the David Bowie album Heroes and collaborated with Daryl Hall on his solo release Sacred Songs.  Robert's work for other artists began to pay dividends as several, including Phil Collins, Hall & Gabriel, returned the favor by helping him on Fripp's 1979 solo album Exposure.  Fripp then wrapped up the decade performing on Blondie's album Parallel Lines.


Fripp then worked with bassist Busta Jones, drummer Paul Duskin and vocalist David Byrne to produce the album God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners.  He also assembled a group called League of Gentlemen that toured in 1980.

In 1981, Fripp joined yet another incarnation of King Crimson with singer and fellow lead guitarist Adrian Belew, percussionist Bill Bruford and Tony Levin on bass.  This lineup released Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair before splitting in 1984.  


Fripp also worked with Andy Summers of the Police on the albums I Advance Masked and Bewitched.  In 1982, Fripp played guitar on and produced the album Keep On Doing by the Roches.


In 1984, Robert accepted a teaching position at the American Society for Continuous Education in West Virginia.  His course, Guitar Craft, also spawned an offshoot group called The League of Crafty Guitarists, which has released several albums.  The groups California Guitar Trio and Gitbox Rebellion both include former Guitar Craft students.  Fripp also started the Guitar Circle of Europe in 2007 and the Seattle Circle Guitar School in 2010.


Robert worked with David Sylvian, performing on the twenty-minute track "Steel Cathedrals" in 1985 and also joining Sylvian on his 1986 album Gone to Earth.  The two toured Japan and Italy in 1991 and 1992 and in 1993, the pair released the album The First Day.

^{Fripp played guitar for the Orb on their albums Lifeforms in 1994, and The Future Sound of London and Cydonia, both released in 2001, as well as FFWD, a collaboration with members of that group.  He also played on albums by No-Man, the Beloved, Iona and Porcupine Tree.}  

^{Fripp began working on his Frippertronics technique the creates sound loops using digital technology instead of from analogue tapes.  Using this technique, Fripp had released several albums that he calls "Soundscapes", including 1999, Radiophonics, A Blessing of Tears, That Which Passes, November Suite, The Gates of Paradise, Love Cannot Bear and At the End of Time.}

In 1994, Fripp re-formed the 1981 lineup of King Crimson, adding Trey Gunn and drummer Pat Mastelotto.  They released the VROOOM EPin 1994 and Thrak in 1995.  A sixth incarnation of the group that included Fripp, Belew, Gunn and Mastelotto released The ConstruKction of Light in 2000 and The Power to Believe in 2003.  

In 2004, Fripp toured with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai as Satriani's famous guitar trio G3.  Robert also worked at the studios of Microsoft to record new sounds and atmospheres for the computer operating system Windows Vista.  Fripp has also played for Theo Travis, the Humans, a group in which his wife Toyah Willcox is in, Grinderman, Judy Dylbe, and for Bill Rieflin's Slow Music project.


Robert's is an interesting story within the context of The Top 100 Guitarists* for he was tone deaf when he started out.  He had no rhythmical sense either.  He learned how to crosspick, which became one of his signature moves.  Fripp was influenced by avant-garde jazz and classical music--thus he combines rapid alternate picking with cross-picking sixteenth-note patterns for long stretches in a form called moto perpetuo, or perpetual motion.


When Crimson was starting out, Fripp used two Gibson Les Paul guitars from 1957 and 1959.  The '57 had three humbucker pickups.  The Crimson Guitars Robert Fripp Signature features Fernandes Susatainer and MIDIelements with a Les Paul body.  Fripp recommended the Ovation 1987 Legend steel-string guitar to his Guitar Craft students. 

With King Crimson, Fripp released innovative, groundbreaking songs outside the mainstream.  His "Soundscapes" work is stunning.  There can be no doubt that Fripp has stretched the boundaries of the guitar, and for his many accomplishments, Robert ranks #15 for the Rock Era*...

This Date in Rock Music History: April 26

1960:  The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Dave Clark Five were the top performers at the NME poll winner's concert at Wembley Empire Pool in London.
1960:  Elvis Presley began filming for the movie G.I. Blues in Hollywood, California.  (Note:  Director Hal Wallis had shot footage in West Germany from August 17-29, 1969 of Presley's battalion on maneuvers and everyday activities.)

1961:  Ben E. King released the single "Stand By Me".
1965:  The Who performed at Bridgewater Town Hall in England.
1965:  Bob Dylan arrived at the London Airport to begin a tour of the U.K. to promote his new album Bringing It All Back Home.









1966:  Dusty Springfield topped the U.K. Singles chart with "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me".
1967:  Mama Cass Elliott gave birth to daughter Owen Vanessa in Los Angeles.









1967:  Janis Ian performed "Society's Child" at the age of 17 on Leonard Bernstein's CBS-TV special Inside Pop:  The Rock Revolution.  
1969:  The Soundtrack to "Hair" was the new #1 album, replacing the self-titled Blood, Sweat & Tears.  Galveston by Glen Campbell was #3, with Donovan's Greatest Hits at 4 and Cloud Nine from the Temptations fifth.
1969:  Led Zeppelin performed for the second of three nights at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
1969:  The Beatles, with keyboard help from Billy Preston, reached #1 in the U.K. with "Get Back".







1969:  On the other side of the Atlantic, an even better song was #1 as 5th Dimension were flying high for the third week with "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In".  Blood, Sweat & Tears remained at 2 with "You've Made Me So Very Happy", the Isley Brothers took #3 with "It's Your Thing" and "Only The Strong Survive" from Jerry Butler came in fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  The former #1 "Dizzy" from Tommy Roe at #5, "Galveston" from Glen Campbell, "Hair" from the Cowsills at #7, "Twenty-Five Miles" by Edwin Starr moving up to 8, the Zombies checked in at #9 with "Time Of The Season" and Steppenwolf had their third Top 10 hit with "Rock Me".
1970:  Tom Jones was the guest on Raquel Welch's Raquel! television special on CBS.






1971:  The Rolling Stones released the single "Brown Sugar" in the U.S.  It was released April 16 in the U.K.  (Note:  some websites claim the song was released May 7 in the United States.)









 
                             Hot Chocolate with one of their biggest career hits...

1975:  B.J. Thomas set a record with the longest title ever to hit #1--"(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song".  Elton John slipped to 2 with "Philadelphia Freedom" while Tony Orlando & Dawn was at #3 with "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)".  The rest of the Top 10:  Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You", Ben E. King had #5 with "Supernatural Thing", Sammy Johns climbed in his "Chevy Van" for #6, Freddy Fender had song #7 with "Before The Next Teardrop Falls", Hot Chocolate was at 8 with "Emma", Barry White had another winner--"What Am I Gonna' Do With You" and the Blackbyrds' hit "Walking In Rhythm" was at #10.







1976:  Starland Vocal Band released the single "Afternoon Delight".







 


1976:  The Captain & Tennille released their remake of the Miracles hit "Shop Around".











1976:  The Brothers Johnson released the single "I'll Be Good To You".
1977:  Grateful Dead were in concert for the third night at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey.

1977:  Studio 54 opened in New York City at 254 West 54th Street.  Cher was on hand for opening night.
1978:  Ringo Starr appeared in his television special Ringo, which was a musical version of The Prince and the Pauper.  The movie also starred Michael Douglas, Angie Dickinson and Art Carney.
1980:  The Carpenters starred in the television special Music, Music, Music on ABC.
1980:  Blondie prevailed on the U.K. Singles chart with "Call Me".

Seger got help from Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles...

1980:  Blondie was also #1 in the States, trailed by Christopher Cross's "Ride Like The Wind" and "Another Brick In The Wall" from Pink Floyd.  Billy Preston & Syreeta had #4 "With You I'm Born Again".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Special Lady" from Ray, Goodman & Brown, Air Supply's "Lost In Love", Bob Seger remained at 7 with "Fire Lake", the Eagles had song #8--"I Can't Tell You Why", Billy Joel stormed into the Top 10 with "You May Be Right" and Dr. Hook rose to #10 with "Sexy Eyes".
1982:  Paul McCartney released the album Tug of War.  (Note:  some websites claim he released the album September 6.  The correct date of release is April 26, according to the official website for McCartney.)
1982:  Meat Loaf gave the first of four sold out shows at Wembley Arena in London.






1984:  If you journey to England for a Beatles Tour as part of your bucket list, be sure to check this out.  Mike McCartney (Paul's brother) unveiled the statue of the Beatles by John Doubleday at the new Cavern Walks Shopping Centre in Liverpool, England.
1986:  Prince & the Revolution held on to #1 on the R&B chart for a fourth week with "Kiss".
1990:  Nirvana performed at the Pyramid Club in New York City.
1997:  Ernest Stewart, keyboardist with KC and the Sunshine Band, died of asthma.
1999:  Sinead O'Connor was ordained as the first woman priest at Latin Tridentine Church.





2001:  Destiny's Child held the #1 position in the U.K. with their smash "Survivor".

2003:  The bridge that James Taylor sang about in his song "Carolina In My Mind" was named after him in a dedication ceremony in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where Taylor grew up.
2006:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Snoop Dogg was today's daily arrest of a rap star.  Dogg was taken into custody at London's Heathrow Airport after a fight in the business lounge.  He and his entourage of more than 30 people were upset when they were told they could not board their flight and starting hitting police officers.  Once again the moral compass-challenged fans of rap music are left scratching their heads for answers.  
2008:  Leona Lewis had the #1 album with Spirit.


2011:  Phoebe Snow died at the age of 60 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage on April 19, slipping into a coma, and enduring blood clots, pneumonia, and congestive heart failure.  


Born This Day:
1925:  Jorgen Ingmann ("Apache" in 1961) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark; died March 21, 2015 in Denmark.

1938:  Duane Eddy ("Because They're Young"), who developed the technique of playing lead on the bass strings of his guitar that gave it a twangy sound, was born in Corning, New York.  (Note:  some websites claim Eddy was born on April 28, but the Rock Hall of Fame and the book 'The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool:  A Celebration of the Grooviest People' by Chris Strodder and 'Legends of Rock Guitar:  The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists' by Pete Prown and Harvey P. Newquist all say Eddy was born on April 26.)   1938:  Maurice Williams ("Stay") was born in Lancaster, South Carolina.
1940:  Giorgio Moroder, producer of Donna Summer and a solo artist ("Chase") was born in Ortisei, Italy.
1941:  Claudine Clark, whose one and only hit "Party Lights" hit the Top 5 in 1962, was born in Macon, Georgia.

1942:  Robert Ridarelli, better known as Bobby Rydell ("Wild One"), was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

1943:  Gary Wright of Spooky Tooth and a solo star, was born in Cresskill, New Jersey. 
1945:  Tony Murray, bassist of the Troggs, was born in Dublin, Ireland.
1946:  Johnny "Buck" Wilkins (Ronny of Ronny & the Daytonas)
1951:  Nick Garvey, lead singer and guitarist of the Motors ("Love And Loneliness"), was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.






1960:  Roger Taylor, drummer for Duran Duran, was born in Birmingham, England.
1961:  Chris Mars, drummer of the Replacements, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1970:  Tionne Watkins, known as T-Boz in the group TLC, was born in Des Moines, Iowa.
1971:  Stanley Wayne DeMarcus, Jr. (Jay DeMarcus), songwriter, bassist and keyboardist of Rascal Flatts, was born in Columbus, Ohio.
1975:  Joey Jordison, songwriter and drummer of Slipknot and a producer, was born in Des Moines, Iowa.
1976:  Jose Pasillas, drummer of Incubus, was born in Calabasas, California.
1982:  Jonathan Lee, vocalist of S Club 7, was born in Croydon, Surrey, England.  (Note:  some websites say Lee was born in Devon, England.  While unfortunately no credible sources exist for his birthplace, our best information indicates that Jonathan was born in Croydon.)

The #16 Guitarist of the Rock Era: Eric Clapton

Up next, a guitarist who has the blues in his veins:

#16:  Eric Clapton, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek & the Dominoes, solo

51 years as an active guitarist

("I Shot the Sheriff" solo)

Eric Patrick Clapton was born March 30, 1945 in Surrey, England.  He was a member of the Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek & the Dominoes.

Clapton received an acoustic Hoyer guitar at age 13 but it was difficult to play and he lost interest.  Two years later, Eric picked it up again and this time, began playing on a regular basis.  Early on, he was influenced by the blues.  After leaving Hollyfield School in Surbiton, England in 1961, Clapton studied briefly at the Kingston College of Art.  


Clapton was beginning to attract attention with is guitar playing.  He started performing as a duo with David Brock in the pubs around Surrey.  When he was seventeen, Clapton joined an R&B group known as the Roosters.  

In October, 1963, Clapton joined the Yardbirds.  Drawing from blues guitarists such as B.B. King, Freddie King and Buddy Guy, Clapton had a unique style.  The Yardbirds played blues covers and gained a large following after replacing the Rolling Stones as the resident group at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond.  The group toured England and in March, 1965 had their first big hit--"For Your Love".  But Clapton didn't like the direction the band was going, preferring blues music, and left the band.  


Clapton joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in 1965, only to quit a few months later.  Eric joined a band called the Glands but in November rejoined Mayall.  Clapton played on the album Blues Breakers - John Mayall - With Eric Clapton, but left the group for the final time before the album was released.

Clapton immediately formed the group Cream with bassist Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker on drums.  Eric developed as a singer, songwriter and guitarist while with Cream.  The group made their debut at the Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester on July 29, 1966.  Cream became famous for extended solos and high-volume blues jamming in their live performances.


Though Clapton had gained a great reputation in the U.K., a young guitarist was emerging in the U.S. that would steal his thunder, one Jimi Hendrix.  Clapton had not yet visited the United States, but Cream performed nine shows at the RKO Theater in New York City in March, 1967.  The group recorded Disraeli Gears in New York in May.  


In just over two years, Cream had sold several million records and played throughout the U.S. and Europe.  But drug and alcohol use by the group led to tension between the three members and eventually its demise.  

Cream's farewell album, Goodbye, featured the group captured live at the Forum in Los Angeles.  The album also included the studio single "Badge", co-written by Clapton and George Harrison.  The two became friends and Eric played on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on the White Album by the Beatles.


When Harrison released his solo album, Wonderwall Music, in 1968, Clapton played on that LP as well.  The pair would often play on stage together as each other's guest.  

Clapton joined Blind Faith in 1969 with Baker, Steve Winwood of Traffic and Ric Grech of Family.  The group debuted before 100,000 fans in London's Hyde Park on Jun 7, 1969.  They gave concerts in Scandinavia and the United States before their only album was released.  The self-titled Blind Faith album contained only six songs, and one of them ("Do What You Like") was a 15-minute jam.  The group broke up after less than seven months.


Eric then joined Delaney and Bonnie for live performces and played two concerts as a member of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, including a performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival in September, 1969 that was released as the album Live Peace in Toronto 1969.


Using the backing group of Delaney and Bonnie and session players that included Stephen Stills and Leon Russell, Clapton recorded his first solo album.  The self-titled debut included the hit "After Midnight".  Clapton then helped Harrison record All Things Must Pass in 1970, and also recorded with Ringo Starr, the Plastic Ono Band, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Dr. John during this period.


Clapton then assembled a new band consisting of the rhythm section of Delaney and Bonnie, keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon.  The group took the name Derek & the Dominoes.  

Clapton's close friendship with Harrison introduced him to George's wife, Pattie Boyd, and like low-life scum, he became deeply infatuated with her.  Initially, Boyd turned down his advances.  But then unbelievably, Clapton actually put his thoughts down into writing for the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs in 1970.  Duane Allman plays slide guitar on the album, which was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida.


Jimi Hendrix died eight days after Derek & the Dominoes had recorded a cover of Jimi's "Little Wing" as a tribute to him.  One day before the death of Hendrix, Clapton had purchased a left-handed Fender Stratocaster that he had planned to give to Jimi as a birthday gift.  The album got lukewarm reviews, and Allman returned to the Allman Brothers Band.


A second album was planned but egos got in the way and the group split.  Clapton had his romantic longings, along with drug and alcohol addiction.  He withdrew from recording to isolation at his home.  This hiatus from music was interrupted only by the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, where Clapton passed out, was revived, and then finished his performance.  


In 1973, Pete Townshend of the Who organized a comeback concert for Clapton at the Rainbow Theatre in London to help Eric kick his addictions.  

In 1974, Pattie Boyd left George Harrison for his supposed friend Clapton.  Clapton had stopped using heroin but drank heavily.  He assembled a new band that included vocalist Yvonne Elliman and recorded 461 Ocean Boulevard in 1974. "I Shot the Sheriff" became Clapton's first #1 song.  Clapton released There's One in Every Crowd in 1975.  The band toured throughout the world in support of the album.


In 1976, Clapton joined several others in paying tribute to the farewell performance of the group that calls itself The Band, a show that  was filmed for the documentary The Last Waltz. Clapton recorded one of his most popular albums, Slowhand, in 1978, which featured the hits "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight", as well as his cover of the J.J. Cale song "Cocaine".


In 1981, Clapton was invited to appear at the Amnesty International benefit The Secret Policeman's Other Ball.  Eric played alongside Jeff Beck and three tracks from that performance were released on the album of that show.

Clapton had committed himself to Christianity, which helped him rid himself of heroin, but in 1982, he finally admitted he was an alcoholic and checked in at Hazelden Treatment Center in Center City, Minnesota.  Eric was so bad off that on the flight in, he drank and drank, because at the time he felt alcohol was the only thing worth living for.  The help at the Treatment Center had to practically carry him into the clinic.


Against doctors' orders, Clapton began working on his next album, Money and Cigarettes.  In 1984, Clapton performed on Roger Waters' solo album and toured following its release.  Clapton also played at the Live Aid concert in 1985. As Clapton recovered from his addictions, he produced Behind the Sun in 1985 and August in1986 with Phil Collins.  August peaked at #3 in the U.K. and featured "It's In the Way That You Use It", which was featured in the movie The Color of Money.


Clapton and Collins toured, and two videos, Eric Clapton Live from Montreux and Eric Clapton and Friends were filmed.  Eric won a British Academy Television Award for his work with Michael Kamen on the score for the 1985 serial Edge of Darkness.  In 1989, Clapton released the album Journeyman, which contained blues, jazz, soul and rock, and got assistance from noted artists George Harrison, Phil Collins, Daryl Hall, David Sanborn, Chaka Khan and Robert Cray.


However, it wasn't enough that Clapton had stolen Pattie Boyd from "friend" Harrison.  While married to Boyd, Clapton began a year-long relationship with Yvonne Kelly.  The two had a daughter, Ruth, in January 1985.  Boyd finally divorced Clapton in 1988 after his affair with Italian model Lory Del Santo, who gave birth to son Conor in 1986.

The Brit Awards gave Clapton an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1987.  In 1990, Clapton gave 24 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.  Clapton then set out on a tour with blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, but on August 27, Vaughan and three members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash between concerts.  Then on March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of his mother's friend's apartment in New York City.

Clapton expressed his grief in the song "Tears in Heaven", included on his Unplugged album.  Clapton won six Grammys for the effort:  "Tears in Heaven" won Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance while Unplugged won Album of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance and Eric also won Best Rock Song for "Layla".  Unplugged reached #1 and has now sold over 10 million copies in the United States.  "Tears in Heaven" also won Best Male Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.


In October, 1992, Clapton performed at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Cream briefly reunited in 1993 to perform at the ceremony inducting them into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the trio played four sold-out shows at London's Royal Albert Hall and three at Madison Square Garden in 2005.


Clapton brought the electric guitar out for his 1994 album From the Cradle, which featured his versions of old blues standards.  Eric then recorded "Change the World", which was featured in the movie Phenomenon and won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 1997.  Clapton also recorded an album of electronic music with Simon Climie under the pseudonym TDF.  

In 1998, Clapton released Pilgrim, his first album of new material in nearly a decade, and the following year did collaborations with Carlos Santana and B.B. King.  In 1999, Clapton won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "My Father's Eyes".   

In 2001, Eric released the album Reptile, and performed "Layla" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the Party at the Palace in 2002.  In November, Clapton performed at and was the musical director for the Concert for George at the Royal Albert Hall, a tribute to George Harrison, wo had died a year earlier of cancer.  In 2004, Clapton released two albums of Robert Johnson covers, Me and Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J.


In 2005, Clapton performed in the Tsunami Relief Concert in Cardiff to aid victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.  He then released the album Back Home and invited Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II to join his band for a 2006-2007 world tour.  A collaboration with J.J. Cale, The Road to Escondido, was released in 2006, which also included contributions from Derek Trucks and Billy Preston.  


In 2008, Clapton performed with Steve Winwood at Madison Square Garden and played guitar on Winwood's album Nine Lives.  The former Blind Faith bandmates then performed in 14 concerts throughout the United State the following year.

In 2009, Clapton performed at a concert to celebrate the 40th year of the Allman Brothers band.  Eric performed two shows with Jeff Beck at the O2 Arena in London and the two continued with shows in New York City, Toronto and Montreal.  Clapton also did a tour with Roger Daltrey and another with Winwood.  


Clapton released a new album, Clapton in September, 2010.  He then toured South America and Japan.  


Clapton credits Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Buddy Guy and Hubert Sumlin as guitar influences.

In a career spanning over 50 years, Clapton has made many choices in the guitars he plays.  While with the Yardbirds, Clapton played a Fender Telecaster, a Fender Jazzmaster, a double-cutaway Gretsch 6120 and a 1964 Gibson ES-335.  Beginning in 1965, Clapton began using Gibson guitars exclusively, beginning with his Gibson Les Paul.  In 1967, Eric purchased a 1964 Gibson SG and in 1968, a Gibson Firebird.


In 1969, Eric switched to the Fender Stratocaster.  He bought six Stratocasters, giving three away to friends.  Clapton then assembled the best components of the remaining three to create the guitar known as "Blackie", his favorite until it was retired in 1985.  Fender has since produced 275 "Blackie" replicas.


In 1988, Fender honored Clapton with the signature Eric Clapton Stratocaster.  Eric has also been honored with several signature acoustic guitars made by C.F. Martin & Company.  Clapton played a 1939 000-42 Martin on the Unplugged album and now plays a custom 000-ECHF Martin.

In 1999, Clapton auctioned off several of his guitars to raise $5 million to support the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which he founded in 1997.  In 2004, Clapton founded the Crossroads Guitar Festival to benefit the Centre.  


Clapton has played guitar for many artists:  The Brothers in Arms album by Dire Straits, Roger Waters' debut solo album, along with work for Elton John, Frank Zappa and Richie Sambora.

Clapton was one of the first guitarists to use Marshall stacks, and he was one of the pioneers of distorted sound, along with Jimi Hendrix, Dick Dale and Pete Townshend.  Eric puts feeling into his solos through the use of vibratos and bends, and also uses hammer-ons and pull-offs.  Clapton uses phrasing and delivery to express himself; i.e. pausing during a solo for effect.  Clapton is capable of great speed but unlike many of today's players, also has the musical knowledge that tells him when to play fast and when not to.

Clapton has influenced many guitarists, including Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Duane Allman, Slash, Joe Satriani, Derek Trucks, Gary Moore, Alex Lifeson and Richie Sambora, guitarists all ranked in The Top 100* on Inside the Rock Era.


In 1983, Clapton was presented the Silver Clef Award from Princess Michael of Kent for his outstanding contribution to British music.  In 1994, Eric was recognized with the Officer of the British Empire medal for his service to music.  In 2004, he was promoted to Commander of the British Empire.  In 2006, Eric was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys as a member of Cream.

Clapton is the only three-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:  as a solo artist and as a member of both the Yardbirds and Cream.  We're into the Top 20 now, and Eric takes the #16 position*.