Seeking Inspiration from Erick Clapton’s Life

seeking inspiration from Erick Clapton's life

Born in March 1945, Erick Clapton became one of the greatest guitarists to emerge from the United Kingdom. He focused on blues and rock music. Currently, he is a three-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Clapton is the only person to have achieved this status in history. Consequently, many musicians refer to him as the most influential guitarists in history. He also ranked at number two on Rolling Stone’s list of the top-100 guitar players of all time. Gibson and Time Magazine ranked him at number four and five respectively in their list of the most influential guitarists in recent years.

 

Background History on Erick Clapton

Despite his success, Clapton was a humble person. He even cited various musicians as some of his most significant influences. They include Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, and Buddy Guy. He singled out Robert Johnson as his most notable influence. He even released DVDs and CDs for Robert Johnson. These records featured covers of Johnson’s songs. Clapton played those songs using acoustic and electric guitars.

 

Perhaps his humility stemmed from his humble background. Born in a small town in Surrey, England known as Ripley, he thought his grandmother and her husband were his parents. His mother, Patricia Clapton, had him when she was sixteen years old. His father went to war and then went to live in Canada. As a result, his grandmother took responsibility for raising him.

 

Eric’s Thirst for Music Was Unquenchable

Eric got his first guitar when he was thirteen years old. It was a birthday gift from his loved ones. At first, he expressed great interest in learning how to play it. Unfortunately, he lost this interest when playing it became too difficult for him. He regained this interest two years later after he listened to some blues records. He picked up the guitar again and he started playing it consistently. Interestingly, Eric had a Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder. He used this recorder to save his practice sessions. He replayed those practice sessions until he got it right.

 

Career Breakthrough and International Success

Eric’s talent went unnoticed until he was sixteen years old. In 1961, he performed in a duo in various clubs with other blues enthusiasts including David Brock. At seventeen years, Eric joined his first band, the Rooster, which played R&B. He stayed with the band for eight months and then he left for gigs with the Engineers and Casey Jones. Today, Eric is a success in music, both as a solo singer and as a band member.

 

Seeking Inspiration from Erick Clapton’s Life and His Instrument

Humility is vital when it comes to achieving success. Clapton was a humble individual. He learned from others, and he recognized people who were great at doing what he would love to do. Clapton did not change his perception of them as his talent exploded. Instead, he played songs in their honor. You should do the same. Learn from your music teachers as much as you can. Remember these teachers when you succeed. Recognize their contribution to your success and honor them if you can. Additionally, learn from your contemporaries rather than competing with them. Being humble will help you succeed as it did for Erick Clapton who is now a popular guitarist.

 


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