Is Eric Clapton a "Bluesman"?

Billo_Really

Litre of the Band
Aug 14, 2005
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Long Beach, Ca
I recently got into an argument (discussion) with a woman at Curley's Cafe in Signal Hill, Ca. I will not mention her name (Lori), but she said Clapton was a rock guitarist who played blues. And that he was not a Bluesman like Paul Butterfield, BB King, Robert Johnson, etc.

I told her she was a taco short of a combo plate!

What say you? Is she right?
 
Clapton definitely has blues roots, but so do a lot of people who are known for playing other genres.

Certainly his early stuff, specifically with Cream, was not blues. "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Im So Glad" and "Let It Rain" are straight ahead 60's rock & roll songs. Even "Cocaine", which Clapton didn't release until 1977, isn't blues.

Lori has a very valid point when she says he was not a bluesman like BB King, Robert Johnson or Paul Butterfield. All they played was the blues. Clapton was all over the place...
 
I recently got into an argument (discussion) with a woman at Curley's Cafe in Signal Hill, Ca. I will not mention her name (Lori), but she said Clapton was a rock guitarist who played blues. And that he was not a Bluesman like Paul Butterfield, BB King, Robert Johnson, etc.

I told her she was a taco short of a combo plate!

What say you? Is she right?
he has been at times but mostly i say no....when i saw him with cream he sure as hell wasnt playing blues...
 
How 'bout Humble Pie? You see them too?
no never got to see them.....saw Traffic at least twice....saw ZZ Top at the sports arena around 72....a good portion of the people looked like cowboys and girls...never knew there were so many red necks in S.Cal....but everyone was passing joints every which way....me and my bud had a great time....
 
no never got to see them.....saw Traffic at least twice....saw ZZ Top at the sports arena around 72....a good portion of the people looked like cowboys and girls...never knew there were so many red necks in S.Cal....but everyone was passing joints every which way....me and my bud had a great time....
I never knew we had so many gangs in LA until I saw the Chili Peppers and Nirvana at the Sports Arena.
 

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