An Interview With Eric Clapton

Warflower · July 26, 2007

CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL

A who's who of guitar kings and queens

After more than four decades in the spotlight, Eric Clapton is still a reluctant superstar. For all his platinum and gold records, Grammy statuettes and stints atop the charts with group and solo projects, the English-born guitarist, singer and songwriter remains a musician's musician who approaches his work with exacting craft.

Though he helped establish two of rock's first "supergroups" -- Cream and Blind Faith -- Clapton has always prized collaboration with other guitarists over unchallenged grandstanding. So it's appropriate that for this summer's third annual Crossroads Guitar Festival, Clapton has assembled an A-list of superb rock, blues and country musicians -- including some of the best guitar-slingers alive.

On how he recognized early the importance music would have in his life:

I think I listened to music with more intensity than other children. Music had more meaning to me. I was aware of that. I was aware of the fact that I could be stirred emotionally by different kinds of music, and that it was eclectic, not necessarily confined to one area of music. I could be classically orientated, or towards jazz or folk music or anything across the board. Anything could provoke an emotion in me.