“I am proud to have been involved”: the most memorable musical experience of Eric Clapton’s career
Every artist has those few moments in their careers when they have to pinch themselves to make sure it’s real. Whether it’s them getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or getting the chance to play with one of their idols, those are normally the moments where all of those years of hard work and slogging it out in bars across the world finally seem to pay off for them. And while Eric Clapton could have happily retired after the 1990s and been proud of the work he had done, even he wasn’t prone to having a few moments where he was left shellshocked onstage.
But Clapton was always listening for the next best thing in music whenever he played. Things may have grown a bit stale for his taste in the 1990s, but he knew that great stuff was out there if he looked for it, whether listening to The La’s or commending what artists like John Mayer have been doing in the modern age.
And despite being known as one of the greatest guitarists to walk the Earth, Clapton was the first to say that some musicians were leagues better than him. He had been left in a daze the first time he heard Duane Allman play guitar, and any competent bluesman who got to see Stevie Ray Vaughan play knew that they were dealing with a musical genius at work whenever he began tearing up the fretboard.
Then again, it’s easy to settle into a middle ground when an artist reaches Clapton’s age, and even by the 1980s, he had taken to working with a few heavy hitters from rock and roll’s glory days. It was nice to see him sharing the stage with someone like Roger Waters, but anyone even mildly interested in music from the era of the Summer of Love was transfixed seeing Clapton and George Harrison go back and forth on their tour through Japan.
“George would have said he didn’t actually want the concert. But I think he’d have enjoyed the music and the comradeship there, nevertheless.”
Eric Clapton
Their friendship may have taken a few dents over the years, but Harrison was always glad to jam with his old friend, and towards the end of his life, it was easy for him to take a few cues from what his buddy was doing, even including a version of ‘Run So Far’ on Brainwashed, which had originally been written for Clapton.
Although the entire music world seemed to be gutted when they heard the news about Harrison’s death, Clapton said that playing at the Concert for George was something he will never forget, saying, “One of the most memorable musical events for me was the Concert for George. As anyone who was there will tell you, the atmosphere was unique. So warm, so affecting. Of course, George would have said he didn’t actually want the concert. But I think he’d have enjoyed the music and the comradeship there, nevertheless. I am very pleased and proud to have been involved.”
Outside of the brilliant artists at every section of the show, the magic of the night is hearing Harrison’s music in a different light. Clapton may have reprised his role for ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, but hearing Paul McCartney play ‘Something’ on ukulele and Tom Petty turn up to play a few Traveling Wilburys songs and a cover of ‘I Need You’ was a nice reminder of every piece of history that Harrison was connected to.
And even though Harrison was the last person who expected to have a lavish party thrown for him, it wasn’t only about him that night. It was about people coming together to celebrate the life of a man who helped transform pop music and open our hearts to what music could be. There’s no telling what Harrison would have made of it, but had he been there, he would have given thanks to his higher power for getting him to that position.
