Eric Clapton

He grew up in Ripley, England, thinking his grandparents were his mom and dad. As a young teen he finds out his “sister” is actually his mother, but at the same time he finds this out he receives his inspiration for the Blues. That young teen in England was none other the amazing blues guitarist we know today as Eric Clapton. Clapton was in many bands till the 1970s when he started his solo career which sky rocketed his publicity and reputation as a guitarist. A hero to me must be dedicated to there profession and must not think that there the best because its all up to opinion to one person, Clapton could be the best, to another he could be arid and distasteful. Clapton’s years of commitment to the blues and constantly wanting to learn from others proves his dedication and modesty.

“Clapton’s dedication to guitar and the blues is what made him the adept guitar he is today (whereseric).” In 1963 Clapton joined a band called the Yardbirds. But later when the band started moving started moving toward a more commercial sound he quit because his true passion was the blues. Even though the Yardbirds with a more mainstream sound might have become more popular and in turn made more money, Clapton was not willing to forgo his true passion for fame and fortune. Clapton's dedication to playing the blues was his number one priority even above being famous. “In 1961, when he was 16, Eric began studying at the Kingston College of Art on one year probation. He was expelled at the end of that time for lack of progress as he had not submitted enough work. The reason? Guitar playing and listening to the blues dominated his waking hours.” Despite knowing he would be kicked out of the college if he didn’t submit enough work, he still devoted his time to playing the guitar and playing the blues. Clapton was so dedicated to playing guitar that he was willing to get kicked out of his college to pursue his passion for the blues. This may not have been the most economically smart decision But dedicated none the less. Clapton sacrificed being in a successful band and finishing Art College to play the blues, which I believe an important quality of a hero.

Many famous musicians believe they have nothing to learn, and that they make money because they're the best. Eric Clapton may have been good and a god to many but he believed he was never done learning about the blues (Eric Clapton).” The object of my work has been to raise it above my standard. And so, you know, I never think I’ll be as good as the people I look up to.” Although he has been referred to as god he doesn’t believe he is the best. “There were things I was doing then that I don’t think I could do anymore things that I just subconsciously let go of. But I think I can play with the same feeling and emotion that I always have (Clapton 2006).” When many musicians get older they think that they are better than they were earlier in their career, with age comes wisdom right? While it's true you might have more wisdom in how to play guitar at a certain point you start to lose the ability to play with the same versatility that you once could. Not only does Eric Clapton acknowledge this he uses it to his advantage to play slower and with more emotion. Eric’s ability to always be willing to learn is what made his music so great.

Ever since he picked up a guitar and started playing the blues Clapton has been committed to playing the blues, yet even when some consider him the best guitarist alive he still idolizes others. Through his years as a guitarist he went through many bands that didn’t work but he didn’t get discouraged. I have never been able to commit to anything but when I picked up a guitar I knew I wasn’t going to be abandoning it anytime soon. Now all I want to do is pursue music for the rest of my life. But people always tell me how unlikely it is that I'll make money from music. Well, Eric Clapton did so why can't I? That is why I love Eric Clapton because he was just an average guy who dropped out of college to pursue his dream. His friends and family may not have supported him but it worked and he made a career of it.

"UXL Biographies. Online ed. Detroit: UXL, 2003." Student Resource Center – Gold.

"Clapton, Eric Patrick (1945-)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Thomson Gale, 1998. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.

McKeen, William. "Clapton, Eric." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.

http://www.ericclapton.com/eric-clapton-biography?page=0%2C0