Biography of Eric Clapton

When Eric Clapton released his first solo album in 1970, he was already considered the foremost guitarist of his generation. During the previous decade, he rocketed to stardom through his thrilling blues guitar heroics in The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and Cream. With those three bands, Clapton became rock & roll's first true guitar hero, a musician who was known for his technical prowess, not hit singles. By doing so, he paved the way for Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, as well as thousands of other guitarists in the following decades.Given his considerable talent, it is slightly ironic that on Clapton's solo albums, the guitar plays a supporting role. Apart from an occasional long jam, his solo work concentrates on the songs, not the guitar. 1974's 461 Ocean Boulevard provides the blueprint -- laidback rock, with touches of blues, country, and reggae. For the rest of the '70s, Clapton followed this pattern, although never with the commercial and artistic success of 461 Ocean Boulevard.By the mid-'80s, Clapton's commercial fortunes were sagging and he turned to Phil Collins for help. Under Collins' direction, Clapton recorded two slick, yet surprisingly ambitious, albums that had little chart success. On the heels of the last Collins-produced album, a four-CD boxed set retrospective of Clapton's career called Crossroads (1988) was released, which brought him back into the the spotlight.With his next album, 1989's Journeyman, Clapton showed signs of getting his recording career back on track, but his burgeoning comeback was derailed when his young son accidentally died. Released about a year after the tragedy, Clapton's heart-felt tribute to his son, "Tears in Heaven," became his first number one single. In the next year, an album of his MTV Unplugged performance was released; it became a blockbuster success, selling over five million copies in the U.S. alone and winning an armful of Grammies. Although it was a fitting tribute to a long, accomplished career, the success was bittersweet. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Biography of Eric Clapton

When Eric Clapton released his first solo album in 1970, he was already considered the foremost guitarist of his generation. During the previous decade, he rocketed to stardom through his thrilling blues guitar heroics in The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and Cream. With those three bands, Clapton became rock & roll's first true guitar hero, a musician who was known for his technical prowess, not hit singles. By doing so, he paved the way for Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, as well as thousands of other guitarists in the following decades.Given his considerable talent, it is slightly ironic that on Clapton's solo albums, the guitar plays a supporting role. Apart from an occasional long jam, his solo work concentrates on the songs, not the guitar. 1974's 461 Ocean Boulevard provides the blueprint -- laidback rock, with touches of blues, country, and reggae. For the rest of the '70s, Clapton followed this pattern, although never with the commercial and artistic success of 461 Ocean Boulevard.By the mid-'80s, Clapton's commercial fortunes were sagging and he turned to Phil Collins for help. Under Collins' direction, Clapton recorded two slick, yet surprisingly ambitious, albums that had little chart success. On the heels of the last Collins-produced album, a four-CD boxed set retrospective of Clapton's career called Crossroads (1988) was released, which brought him back into the the spotlight.With his next album, 1989's Journeyman, Clapton showed signs of getting his recording career back on track, but his burgeoning comeback was derailed when his young son accidentally died. Released about a year after the tragedy, Clapton's heart-felt tribute to his son, "Tears in Heaven," became his first number one single. In the next year, an album of his MTV Unplugged performance was released; it became a blockbuster success, selling over five million copies in the U.S. alone and winning an armful of Grammies. Although it was a fitting tribute to a long, accomplished career, the success was bittersweet. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Biography of B.B. King

Born Riley B. King, B. B. King is perhaps the most important and influential electric guitarist ever. Inspired by Lonnie Johnson, Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, and Blind Lemon Jefferson, B. B. studied their music and then took the electric guitar to new heights by developing a blues guitar "vibrato" -- used primarily for soloing -- that hadn't previously existed. B. B.'s vibrato (his method of trilling, slurring, or bending the string) has become the major lead guitar "tool" of every blues and rock guitarist since -- White or Black. Now known as "The King of the Blues," B. B.'s roots are in the music of the Mississippi Delta and Southern church choirs. Within the Black community B. B. has been a famous recording artist and entertainer from the late 40s until the present, so when White audiences "discovered" the blues in the 60s, B. B. was already on top and was finally greeted by a worldwide audience. Since then, B. B. King has received more awards and honors in recognition of his music than could ever be listed here (Grammy, Best R&B Vocal by a Male in 1970 for "The Thrill Is Gone"; Honorary Doctor of Music, Yale University) and has toured the world many times over, playing for presidents, kings, and world leaders. B. B. is as great a singer as he is a guitarist, his vocal artistry influencing the styles of the younger Texas bluesmen -- from Freddie King and Magic Sam to Luther Allison and Mighty Joe Young. Fame has never changed B. B. King, either. He's a humble entertainer who names his audience as the reason for his greatness. B. B. lives for his music, and he still plays some 150+ engagements a year! ~ Daniel Erlewine

Biography of B.B. King

Born Riley B. King, B. B. King is perhaps the most important and influential electric guitarist ever. Inspired by Lonnie Johnson, Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, and Blind Lemon Jefferson, B. B. studied their music and then took the electric guitar to new heights by developing a blues guitar "vibrato" -- used primarily for soloing -- that hadn't previously existed. B. B.'s vibrato (his method of trilling, slurring, or bending the string) has become the major lead guitar "tool" of every blues and rock guitarist since -- White or Black. Now known as "The King of the Blues," B. B.'s roots are in the music of the Mississippi Delta and Southern church choirs. Within the Black community B. B. has been a famous recording artist and entertainer from the late 40s until the present, so when White audiences "discovered" the blues in the 60s, B. B. was already on top and was finally greeted by a worldwide audience. Since then, B. B. King has received more awards and honors in recognition of his music than could ever be listed here (Grammy, Best R&B Vocal by a Male in 1970 for "The Thrill Is Gone"; Honorary Doctor of Music, Yale University) and has toured the world many times over, playing for presidents, kings, and world leaders. B. B. is as great a singer as he is a guitarist, his vocal artistry influencing the styles of the younger Texas bluesmen -- from Freddie King and Magic Sam to Luther Allison and Mighty Joe Young. Fame has never changed B. B. King, either. He's a humble entertainer who names his audience as the reason for his greatness. B. B. lives for his music, and he still plays some 150+ engagements a year! ~ Daniel Erlewine