What Style of Music Keeps Calling Eric Clapton Back to the Blues?

In this blog post, we’ll explore Eric Clapton’s musical journey and how the blues has always been a constant in his life.

The Birth of the Blues

The blues is a genre of music that has been around for centuries, with its origins traceable back to the late 1800s in the southern United States. The first recordings of the blues were made in the 1920s, and the style of music quickly gained popularity among both black and white audiences. The term “blues” was originally used to describe a feeling of sadness or melancholy, but over time it came to refer to a specific type of music.

The blues is characterized by its use of minor keys, blue notes, and anguished lyrics about personal struggles and heartache. The music often has a repetitive quality, with simple chord progressions and repeating melodic phrases. Blues songs often tell stories of personal pain and struggle, but they can also be playful and upbeat.

Despite its sad associations, the blues is a genre of music that is full of energy and emotion. The best blues musicians are able to convey a wide range of feelings, from sadness and longing to joy and excitement. Eric Clapton is one of the most successful and popular blues musicians of all time, with a career that spans over 50 years. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time, and his skillful playing has helped to popularize the blues among millions of listeners around the world.

Clapton was born in 1945 in England, and he first became interested in music as a child when he heard American rock ‘n’ roll on the radio. He soon began playing guitar, and by the early 1960s he was performing with some of Britain’s biggest bands. In 1966, he joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, an influential group that helped to popularize the blues in Britain. Clapton’s work with the Bluesbreakers led him to develop his own distinctive style of playing, which combined elements of British rock ‘n’ roll with traditional Chicago-style blues.

The Influence of the Blues

The blues has been a huge part of Clapton’s musical journey, and he has often credited the genre with helping him to find his footing as a guitarist. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he once said, “The blues are the roots and the other stuff is the fruit.”

Clapton’s infatuation with the blues began when he was a teenager in England. He would often skip school to go see live music, and it was at one of these shows that he first heard an electric guitar. He was instantly hooked and began purchasing records by British Blues artists like Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies. He also started to emulate the playing style of American artists like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters.

In the early 1960s, Clapton became a member of The Yardbirds, a band that would help to shape the sound of rock music. The Yardbirds were known for their influential blues-rock sound, and they had a hit song with their cover of Waters’ “I’m a Man.” Clapton’s time with The Yardbirds allowed him to develop his skills as a guitarist, and he quickly gained notoriety as one of the best players in the world.

In 1965, Clapton left The Yardbirds to start his own band, Cream. Cream was one of the first supergroups, and they combined elements of blues, rock, and jazz to create a unique sound. The band had several hit songs, including “Crossroads” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” They also released several live albums that captured their explosive concerts.

Cream disbanded in 1968, and Clapton went on to have a successful solo career. He continued to explore different genres of music, but he always returned to his roots in the blues. In 2004, he released an album called “Me and Mr. Johnson,” which was a collection of covers of Robert Johnson songs. He also toured with Muddy Waters’ band in 1976 and recorded an album with Waters in 1977.

In recent years, Clapton has been focusing on his role as a mentor for young musicians. He has been hosting the Crossroads Guitar Festival since 2004, which is an event that brings together some of the best guitarists in the world. He has also been working on an autobiographical film called “Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars,” which is set to be released in 2017.

The blues has been a constant source of inspiration for Eric Clapton throughout his career. His passion for the genre has led him to experiment with different styles of music and find his own unique voice as a musician.

The Resurgence of the Blues

The popularity of the blues has waxed and waned over the years, but there has always been a dedicated core of fans and musicians who have kept the genre alive. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in interest in the blues, both in terms of new music being created and older recordings being rediscovered.

One of the most influential figures in this resurgence has been Eric Clapton. A legendary figure in the world of rock guitar, Clapton has always had a deep love for the blues. He was one of the first British musicians to embrace the style, and he played a major role in popularizing it in the UK and beyond.

In recent years, Clapton has been increasingly focused on his love for the blues, both through his own recordings and through his work with The Crossroads Guitar Festival. This festival, which he founded in 2004, is dedicated to celebrating the blues and bringing together some of the genre’s greatest talents.

What is it about the blues that keeps calling Eric Clapton back? It may be the genre’s emotional honesty, its simple yet profound lyrics, or its ability to convey both joy and pain. Whatever it is, there is no doubt that Clapton’s passion for the blues is as strong as ever.

The Future of the Blues

As the years go by, it becomes more and more difficult to ignore the question of what the future of the blues will be. With the recent passing of B.B. King, it feels as though an era might be coming to an end. That being said, there are still a number of incredible artists keeping the flame alive. Eric Clapton is one such artist. He has been playing the blues for over 50 years and shows no signs of slowing down. In a recent interview, he was asked about what keeps him coming back to the blues time and time again.

“I think it’s the fact that, for all its apparent simplicity, it’s actually incredibly complex,” he said. “It’s like a set of building blocks that you can use to create something that is really quite beautiful and moving.”

Clapton went on to say that the blues has always been a source of inspiration for him, both as a player and as a songwriter. “It’s always been something that I’ve gone back to whenever I’ve felt lost or confused,” he said. “It’s like a touchstone.”

It’s clear that Clapton has a deep love and appreciation for the blues. It will be interesting to see how he continues to explore this style of music in the years to come.