Happy Birthday, Eric Clapton! Here Are 12 of His Greatest Performances (New Times)

By Lee Zimmerman
Fri., Mar. 30 2012 at 9:45 AM

Born March 30, 1945, Eric Clapton is considered by many critics and pundits to be the greatest living rock guitarist of all time. Living may be the key word here, given that Clapton held Jimi Hendrix in awe.

Clapton recorded Hendrix's song "Little Wing" a mere week before his friend died, and he was reportedly devastated by Hendrix's passing. Likewise, rock may be the other major distinction, because by Clapton's own admission, his chief influences were blues guitarists like B.B. King, Freddie King, and Buddy Guy.

Regardless, there are few musicians who achieved as much acclaim and drew as much reverence as Clapton. Little wonder that during his early tenure on the London music scene, he was referred to as "God" in the graffiti scrawled on building walls.

(His other popular nickname was "Slow Hand," not because of his speed fingering the frets but rather because when he broke a string during an early set, he made the audience wait patiently while he restrung his guitar.)


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