The guitarist John Mayer claims Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton wouldn’t exist without
No matter how technically skilled or successful they are, there is scarcely a guitarist out there in the rock world who doesn’t wish they could play with the same energy or passion as either Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton. Seemingly, all roads within the guitar world lead back to those two legendary figures, but it is worth remembering that they weren’t conjured up out of thin air.
On one hand, it is easy to see why the likes of Hendrix and Clapton are regular figures of worship within the guitar world. After all, both players emerged during the revolutionary era of the 1960s, and they still managed to blow everybody else out of the water.
With Cream, Clapton laid the foundations for the entire future of blues-infused psychedelia, pioneering a completely modern playing style which, despite the best efforts of thousands, has never properly been emulated.
Similarly, Hendrix always played with such a passionate fury that even those who are able to replicate his countless iconic riffs on a technical level will never be able to recapture the energy and intensity with which he played. Nevertheless, the focus being almost entirely on those two guitarists does do something of a disservice to the various influences which they both cited as being essential in the concoction of their respective playing styles.
Namely, these influences were made up of the blues pioneers who effectively carved out the sounds of rock and roll guitar, without amassing much in the way of mainstream success. Blues guitarists have always been the unsung heroes of rock and roll, but both Clapton and Hendrix were always keen to espouse the joys of their roots in blues, citing inspiration from the likes of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and, invariably, Buddy Guy.
To call Buddy Guy an unsung hero would be more than a little overzealous, what with his multiple Grammys, Lifetime Achievement awards, and even a spot on the Kennedy Centre Honours list, but regardless of how many accolades the Louisiana guitarist picked up during his life, it is nothing compared to his colossal impact on rock and roll history. From Jeff Beck to John Mayer, his impact is felt throughout multiple generations of rock guitarists, and, in fact, Mayer is a particular devotee.
Back in 2010, the prolific blues devotee dedicated an entire op-ed in The Guardian to Guy, his ultimate guitar hero. Within that piece, Mayer was quick to connect Guy – a musician who, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t boast the same all-encompassing recognition as some other guitarists – to the likes of Clapton and Hendrix. “If you follow Clapton or Hendrix back,” he shared. “You get to Buddy Guy. He really invented this abandon on the guitar that Hendrix saw and adapted.”
Expanding upon the revolutionary power of the guitarist, Mayer continued, “He came up playing on those Chess Records dates, where the two-and-a-half-minute blues song was the norm. He broke out of that and made the lead electric guitar more than a slight interlude in the song.” Adding, “Buddy paved the way for Hendrix to play these nine-minute solos.”
Indeed, Guy paved the way for the entire realm of guitar solos and the kinds of expansive tracks favoured by all the greatest guitar heroes throughout rock and roll history. He might not have the same mainstream notoriety as Clapton or Hendrix, but it is fair to say that neither of them would have made their mark were it not for Buddy Guy’s trailblazing impact years prior.
