To say that Eric Clapton was beloved as a guitarist in England is an understatement. At the beginning of what we now know as album oriented rock, to find Clapton Is God graffiti painted on the walls in England was commonplace, and at that time well deserved. Clapton was one of the first dynamic guitarists in England and his legend proceeded him at every venue he played.
When he left The Yardbirds to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, many thought he made a big mistake as the Yardbirds were the next rising stars on the scene, but those who knew their music, knew that Clapton would flourish in the Bluesbreakers and their eventual release confirmed what everyone already knew, Clapton in the guitar world was God. Eric would outgrow the Bluesbreakers, however and Clapton would get together with two of the best musicians in the UK to form Cream, rocks first Supergroup. Cream would dominate the live scene, pushing even The Beatles and The Stones to the sidelines when they hit the stage, as they became the best live act on the planet. Little did they know that they were about to come facre to face with one of the best live artists of all time.
Jimi Hendrix was an exceptional guitarist that couldn't find headway in the US, and as luck would have it Keith Richard's girlfriend would come across him at a live show and immediately recommend him to her friend, Chas Chandler of The Animals who was looking to manage a new act. Chandler immediately saw what was genius about Hendrix and signed him to a management deal. He took Jimi to England to put together a band for him and introduce him to the audience that would take to him instantly.
Chandler would bring Hendrix to the London Polytechnic at Regent Street, where Cream was performing, and there he met Clapton.
"He asked if he could play a couple of numbers. I said, 'Of course', but I had a funny feeling about him." Clapton said.
Hendrix would take the stage and performed Howlin' Wolf's song "Killing Floor", and leave Cream dumbfounded.
"He played just about every style you could think of, and not in a flashy way. I mean he did a few of his tricks, like playing with his teeth and behind his back, but it wasn't in an upstaging sense at all, and that was it ... He walked off, and my life was never the same again".
Not too long after the performance The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their debut and the rest is rock history. There was a new God on stage and even though Clapton's career and legacy did not lessen after the meeting, it was safe to say that even though he remained beloved, Clapton was not Hendrix, and the mantle of God amongst guitarists found a new man at the throne.