Even more embarrassing, however, is the handshake with Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck: "Nice to see you," says the sovereign to the two musicians, giving the impression of knowing them. It is not so. After having scrutinized “Slowhand” from head to toe, he asks him: “Have you been playing the guitar for a long time?”. And he replies: "Well, will it be something like ... 40 years?".
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945), is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time" He was also named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.
In October 1963, Anthony Topham quit The Yardbirds and was replaced by 18-year-old art student and guitarist Eric Clapton, fresh from The Roosters. With Clapton on board, The Yardbirds would become one of the most accomplished rhythm and blues bands in the UK, and serious rivals to the Rolling Stones.
This is a rare video of Clapton using a Gibson – he mainly uses Strats on tour. Here he even turns up the gain a bit for some fuzzed-out noodling. “It became part of my body – it was just part of my existence,” he says of the Les Paul, which he played in the Sixties.
Eric Clapton talks about guitars and test some out in his London home. In 1998 Clapton, himself a recovering addict, founded the Crossroads Centre charity to help others. Since then, he has had three auctions of his guitars-
“When I was 16, I really tried to nail it, and I felt I was making progress at that point,” he says. What does he look for in a good acoustic? “The guitar has to be friendly. It has to give me a little bit of assistance – otherwise I’ll put it down. My kids listen to classic rock, but that may only be because of me, because that’s what I’ve played to them.
I mean, from the time of their conception, they’ve been listening to music through the womb. I played them playlists, just brainwashed my kids, and at the back of it was always the guitar or some kind of solo instrument or a singer. My belief in music is it’s all good. It’s all good. Even stuff that doesn’t appear to be so, it’s all good.”
As the 1970s began, Eric Clapton abandoned the Gibson Les Paul in favor of the Fender Stratocaster. However, he never completely abandoned the brand. Today, Eric Clapton uses a Gibson L5 for select numbers in concert and from time to time, he’s played a Gibson Chet Atkins acoustic on stage. He also uses various other Gibson models in his studio work.
This year Life in 12 Bars’ the new film documentary about Eric Clapton has been submitted for Oscar consideration. Film is directed by Lili Fini Zanuck (who won an Oscar for Driving Miss Daisie, Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars has been billed as ‘an unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life of legendary 18-time Grammy winner.’ The film chronicles the guitarist’s remarkable career, from his time as a British rock journeyman in the Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers to his stints in Cream and Blind Faith, as well as his lengthy solo career.
