Jack White on the “best thing” Eric Clapton ever did in music
In 1999, The White Stripes released their debut album. Though it’s not a record that houses their greatest hits, it separated them from the rest of the pack, providing listeners with a unique sound and musical outfit that was difficult to turn away from. Now, over two decades later, Jack White continues to release exceptional music, as his most recent album, No Name, has proven he continues to have fresh ideas and perfect execution.
There are a few reasons Jack White has been able to continue to make exceptional music, even after the band that initially projected him to fame broke up. The first is his commitment to authenticity. Jack White has never shied away from embracing who he is both as a person and a creative, which means he has been free to explore whatever creative avenues appeal to him.
He has spoken out against the need to look like you’re being authentic and instead focus on just making the music that inspires you. Though he dresses sharply and has a distinctive look, White’s thoughts of an image always come second, as he puts music at the forefront of everything he does.
“Throughout history, we’ve been sold authenticity over and over. The English press are the kings of it. You’ve got to ask yourself about the White Stripe’s appeal to England had we been from Los Angeles instead of Detroit,” said White, “The story of the city of Detroit became our authenticity, that dirty, crumbling town. I don’t see a lot of other artists getting asked about where they live, but I get asked about where I live constantly.”
Well aware of the lie of authenticity, White has always just made the music that he wants to make in the hope that people will connect with it, and for the most part, they have. This can be within The White Stripes, as a solo artist, or in other bands he has fronted, such as The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs. This is the second element of Jack White’s success: a constant willingness to work with others and start different projects, regardless of whether or not they make sense to others. His inspiration in this department was Eric Clapton, who was also no stranger to playing in multiple bands and as a solo artist.
“For a long time I always thought the rule is: be in a famous band like The White Stripes; when the famous band is done, make solo records for the rest of your life, and die. That’s the showbiz rule,” he said. “People say, ‘Alright Jack, I like The Dead Weather, but can you please make the solo record?’ You look back now at the Cream albums; someone at the time might have called Cream a side project, but to me, that’s the best thing Clapton ever did. In 20 years, someone will think that about The Dead Weather. Time changes people’s perception of that sort of stuff.”
Clapton’s approach to playing in a band clearly inspired White, but his approach to guitar playing and genre in general will also undoubtedly have been an influence.
