Eric Clapton may have grown up in the picture-perfect Surrey village of Ripley, but his worldview was very different from that of typical middle England. Upon receiving his first guitar for his 13th birthday, he gradually immersed himself in the Delta blues sound. It was a sonic palette from a distant place that had emerged in ways beyond his comprehension at the time.
Clapton picked up the guitar fast, and by the time he was 17, he was a member of The Roosters, one of the first British R&B groups. Naturally, a long career followed. He established a distinctive style and gained widespread recognition as one of the best guitarists. But he also went through several low points. The most shocking of these was his vile racism, considering how unrestrainedly he owed his career to African-American sounds.
Not only is the 1976 Birmingham onstage outburst against immigrants shocking due to its hateful content and wicked irony, but it also lacked soul. His sound had always been championed for its soulfulness, which was notably absent in that moment. The guy who had been the leading champion of the blues in Britain vanished from sight. It was as if the evil twin of the Surrey native had entered the stage. This transformation was aided by an abundance of booze.
The blues, with its expressive heart amplified, was more technically proficient. It had evolved since its inception in Mississippi in the early 20th century. Clapton repackaged it for his era. This made him one of the greatest rock guitarists. He achieved this whether through his work with The Yardbirds, Cream, or Derek and the Dominos. Due to this sonic quality, Clapton found that other people’s music resonated with him the most when he was making a name for himself. It accomplished something new while still heavily influenced by the blues. Only a few were able to accomplish this; The Band was among the best and most influential in terms of culture.
The Canadian-American group became more well-known for supporting Bob Dylan when he went electric. This was after first becoming well-known as the backing group for legendary rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. Following their collaboration with the latter, the group began defining their path. Members like Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm were integral to this journey. With hits like “The Weight,” their 1968 debut album Music from Big Pink is regarded as one of the most important of the time.
Clapton would get hooked on the Band the moment he heard them because they would resonate with him so deeply. Hawkins, Dylan, and several others enlisted him along with themselves. The Band invited Hawkins, Dylan, and several others as special guests to commemorate their last performance, The Last Waltz, in 1976.
In 1994, no one had a greater qualification to discuss The Band’s significance at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. The Band’s spiritual alignment led to their invitation. That’s where Clapton remembered hearing the band for the first time and how “it became my drug.” The Englishman famously listened to a tape by The Crackers. Label objections forced them to choose The Band over one of the bands they tried. Their drive and skill, however, were clear. It changed Clapton’s life to hear it.
Eric Clapton recalled receiving the tape from a Los Angeles-based associate. Once he took it with him on the road, it turned into his go-to drug. “I would put this tape on and I would go into another world; it was my kind of release,” he remarked. As an Englishman who “worshipped the music from America,” he found the music especially appealing. The Band, although also white, had “derived all they could from Black music, and they combined it to make a beautiful hybrid.”
“For me, it told stories, had lovely harmonies, amazing singing, and beautiful musicianship without any virtuosity,” he continued. “It was serious, grown-up, and mature.” Fairness, economy, and beauty.
Eric Clapton realized he could no longer play in Cream after hearing the tape. Even though he didn’t dare to ask them to join him, he went to Woodstock to hang out with The Band. He hoped to become one of them. Rather, he made a concerted effort to mimic them until he was on stage performing The Last Waltz.
