Eric Clapton remains one of the best and most influential guitar players of the 20th century. He’s worked with myriad artists, from George Harrison to Van Morrison, and released hits like “Cocaine,” “Wonderful Tonight” and “Tears in Heaven.”
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But with such an illustrious career, one might wonder what the 78-year-old British-born musician has to say about the world, his life, music and more. Here are the 20 best Eric Clapton quotes.
1. “I think everybody has their own way of looking at their lives as some kind of pilgrimage. Some people will see their role as a pilgrim in terms of setting up a fine family or establishing a business inheritance. Everyone’s got their own definition. Mine, I suppose, is to know myself.”
2. “Music became a healer for me. And I learned to listen with all my being. I found that it could wipe away all the emotions of fear and confusion relating to my family.”
3. “The first guitar I ever had was a gut-string Spanish guitar, and I couldn’t really get the hang of it. I was only 13, and I talked my grandparents into buying it for me. I tried and tried and tried, but got nowhere with it.”
4. “When you’re onstage with an electric band going through a massive P.A. system, it’s very artificial. You can’t really hear your own voice as it comes out of your mouth.”
5. “I did play a lot of fingerstyle when I first started playing. I could never really find the right combination of flatpick or fingerpick, so playing fingerstyle is really the easiest way—though it’s quite strenuous on the fingertips.”
6. “I’m not a big fan of lead vocalists, people who sing but don’t play. I never wanted to be in a band where the guy who was upfront just sang. I’ve always thought it better when one of the musicians sings, like Steve Winwood.”
7. “From the beginning, I knew intuitively that if nothing else, music was safe, and that nobody could tell me anything about it. Music didn’t need a middleman, whereas all the other things in school needed some kind of explanation.”
8. “But the guitar, when you think about it, is the most versatile, really. I mean you can pick it up and take it with you wherever you go.”
9. “My original interests and intentions in guitar playing were primarily created on quality of tone, for instance, the way the instrument could be made to echo or simulate the human voice.”
10. “There’s a desire in me to express something—to match what I hear in my head.”
11. “One of the most beneficial things I’ve ever learned is how to keep my mouth shut.”
12. “I’d love to knock an audience cold with one note, but what do you do for the rest of the evening?”
13. “The blues are what I’ve turned to, what has given me inspiration and relief in all the trials of my life.”
14. “I sought my father in the world of the Black musician because it contained wisdom, experience, sadness and loneliness. I was not ever interested in the music of boys. From my youngest years, I was interested in the music of men.”
15. “I like solitude. I like the anomalous life. I like a quiet life.”
16. “I think I deliberately sold out a couple of times. I picked the songs that I thought would do well in the marketplace, even though I didn’t really love the song.”
17. “When all the original blues guys are gone, you start to realize that someone has to tend to the tradition. I recognize that I have some responsibility to keep the music alive, and it’s a pretty honorable position to be in.”
18. “The toughest thing about being a celebrity, I suppose, is being polite when I don’t want to be.”
19. “Well, I think part of my gift, or if I have one, is that I love listening.”
20. “My dedication to my music has driven everyone away. I’ve had girlfriends, but I always end up on my own. I don’t particularly like it, but I don’t see a way ’round it.”
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