Considered a god by fans in the late 60s, Eric Clapton was one of the most influential guitarists of his generation, consistently featured in high positions on lists of the greatest of all time. He was often compared to many other incredible guitarists, whom the press even called his “rivals.” However, when discussing the subject, he named two players whom he considered to have a similar style to his own and whom he regarded as his true “rivals,” in terms of technique and feel.
The 2 guitarists Eric Clapton once said could be considered his “rivals”
Buddy Guy
“I’ve never belonged to that school of thought (of who is the fastest player in town). When I started to play there were very few playing like me and we became the role models for the people that came after us. Van Halen says he learned to play by listening to my music slowed down!”
“But when I hear his music I don’t hear me at all! So I’m afraid I can’t be held responsible for that! (laughs) And as much as it may be good, I don’t feel I’m part of that. The only time I feel I’m in a so-called rivalry setup is when I’m with someone who is in the same territory as me. Like Buddy Guy, (…) But the great thing then is that then there is no real sense of competition. It’s fun,” Eric Clapton said in an interview with Musician magazine in 1992.
He has been a huge fan of Buddy since he first saw him play at the Marquee Club in London. According to Eric, it was after seeing him live that he discovered the direction he wanted for his career, shortly after forming Cream with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. “Though I was happy with the Bluesbreakers, I was also beginning to get restless, nurturing somewhere inside me thoughts of being a front man, which had been evolving ever since I had first seen Buddy Guy playing at the Marquee.”
He continued:
“Even though he was accompanied by only a bass player and a drummer, he created a huge, powerful sound. It blew me away. It was almost as if he didn’t need anyone else. He could have played the whole set on his own. Visually, he was like a dancer with his guitar, playing with his feet, his tongue, throwing it around the room.”
“He made it look so easy. As I was watching, I was thinking “I can do that”.Now that my confidence was high, I began to really believe that I could make that leap. I was truly inspired. So when Ginger Baker, drummer from the Graham Bond Organisation, came to see me and talked about forming a new band, I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” Eric Clapton said in his autobiography.
Clapton said Buddy Guy was a great example for him
Clapton had the chance to play with Buddy Guy many times and in 2005 had the honor to induct him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During his speech, he praised the American artist, saying he had always been a role model for him.
“It’s a great honor and a privilege to be able to induct this distinguished gentleman into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A man who means so much to me personally and as a musician has given so much to us all. It also provides me with the perfect opportunity to say ‘thank you’ for all the inspiration he’s given me over the years.”
“He started playing and singing. His love and concern for the welfare of the Blues has been a great example for me. (Also) countless others who had the good fortune to share this road. My first experience of Buddy’s power was when I bought a record called ‘Folk Festival of The Blues’.”
“A little album, a live album recorded in Chicago in the 60s. In the company of such great artists such as Otis Spann, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy did far more than to just hold his own.”
Eric Clapton continued:
“With the greatest respect to all those fabulous masters, in my humble opinion he stole the show. Coming from the back of the field like a thoroughbred racehorse, he’s shown through that genius ensemble. Taking no prisoners, letting everyone know that he was the new dangerous kid on the block”.
Clapton was a special guest on two Buddy Guy songs: “Early in The Morning” from the 1991 album “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” and the track “Every Time I Sing the Blues” from “Skin Deep” (2008).
Robert Cray
The other guitarist mentioned by Clapton was Robert Cray, whom he had praised many times over the years. “Robert Cray is another friend who has my total admiration, too. His singing has always reminded me of Bobby Bland. But his guitar style is all his own, although if you know your blues history, you can hear just about everyone in his playing,” Clapton said in his autobiography.
They have played together many times over the years, and Cray was even part of Clapton’s acclaimed album “Journeyman” (1989). When asked by Uncut Magazine about musicians he recognized as his peers, he mentioned Cray among them. “I would acknowledge the people who grew up listening to the same stuff as I did. Those are the ones that I would be in tune with. People like Jimmie Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall, Derek Trucks, Robert Cray. Though they’re younger than me, those guys. So people who are more well-versed in blues, that’s who I identify with as my peers,” he said in 2015.
The end of their friendship
Although they had been friends for years, Cray said in 2021 that he ended his friendship with Eric. That happened after the British musician compared the government measures against COVID to slavery. The Clapton/Morrison song “Stand and Deliver”, the duo sing, “Do you wanna be a free man or do you wanna be a slave? Do you wanna wear these chains until you’re lying in the grave?”. Cray told The Washington Post that he sent an email to Clapton questioning him about the lyrics.
“His reaction back to me was that he was referring to slaves from, you know, England from way back,” Cray said. He said the subsequent email exchanges with Clapton were not good and he eventually stopped replying. A few weeks later, he politely sent him a message saying he could no longer, “in good conscience”, be the opening act on his upcoming tour.
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