Classic Rock
Ritchie Blackmore recalls a birthday gift from Eric Clapton
Ritchie Blackmore and Eric Clapton were both born in 1945 and became two of the most important guitarists of all time. They started their careers still in the 60s but Clapton had the chance to achieve fame a few years before Blackmore would have the chance as a member of Deep Purple.
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Although they never really did the same kind of music and were different kinds of players, they had the chance to get to know each other. As Blackmore recalled in an interview published on his Youtube channel (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), Clapton even gave him a present once. Also revealed that he started using the Stratocaster because of Eric Clapton and it was a guitar which was previously owned by him.
Ritchie Blackmore recalls a birthday gift from Eric Clapton
Blackmore recalled that his relationship with Clapton started still back in the 60s when Deep Purple was Cream‘s opening act. Ritchie asked Clapton about the strings he was using to achieve a “fat sound”. Sometime later, one of Clapton’s roadies went to the house where Purple members were living. He took with him a Stratocaster which previously belonged to the Blues Rock guitarist.
“I was living in Acton (town area in west London) with the band, Deep Purple. We were all together in one house. I’d often been interested in playing a Strat, and one of the roadies for Eric knew one of our roadies.”
“He came over to the house with this Strat with a slightly bent, bowed neck. I was very intrigued by this guitar. So, I picked it up. I said, ‘Would you sell this?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I think I paid 60 pounds for the guitar, which used to be Eric’s. Eric gave it to whoever this guy was.”
He continued:
“I think the next time I saw him (Clapton) was on my birthday. He had been sick. He’d been in the hospital, which was in Minneapolis, I think, or one of those places. He was in the same hotel as we were. I had a knock at the door. He’d just been let out of the hospital. I (opened) the door, and Eric was there. He had a little wooden pole, and on the end of the pole was a duck. The duck would quack as he pushed it along.”
“He said, ‘This is a present for you on your birthday.’ I was taken aback, because I didn’t know Eric that well (at that point). I took the duck and we exchanged pleasantries. I had the duck for years,” Ritchie Blackmore said.
