Clapton is God explained

"Clapton is God" is a 1960s meme referencing the English guitarist Eric Clapton. The line was popularised after being spray-painted on a wall in London during the mid-1960s, when Clapton was a member of the Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, creating the cult of the guitar hero.[1]

Overview

The earliest known use of the phrase appeared in the form of graffiti spray-painted by an unknown admirer on a wall in Islington, London. Commentators traced the year of origin variously to 1965,[2] early 1966,[3] and 1967.[4] Soon after, the proclamation could be seen scrawled at numerous spots around London,[5] such as on club bathroom walls and construction sites.[6] It also appeared around New York.[7] [8] In 2016, Clapton speculated that the original graffiti was painted by Hamish Grimes, a promoter who worked for the Yardbirds' manager.[5]

Clapton was initially humbled by the slogan.[9] Later, he said he had become embarrassed by it, saying in his The South Bank Show profile in 1987, "I never accepted that I was the greatest guitar player in the world. I always wanted to be the greatest guitar player in the world, but that's an ideal, and I accept it as an ideal."[10]

In popular culture

Notes and References

  1. News: Hann. Michael. Eric Clapton creates the cult of the guitar hero. The Guardian. 12 June 2011. 16 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170311172627/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/12/eric-clapton. 11 March 2017. live.
  2. News: Clapton Biography Portrays a Restless Rocker Forever Bolting His Bands. The Washington Post. 21 June 2019.
  3. Book: Dobney. Jayson Kerr. Inciardi. Craig J.. DeCurtis. Anthony. Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll. 2019. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 978-1-58839-666-2. 53.
  4. Web site: Norman . Philip . Philip Norman (author). Why Eric Clapton is still God . GQ . 30 June 2020.
  5. Web site: Hughes . Ruth . Rock legend Eric reveals: 'Clapton is God graffiti was a stunt' . Express . 21 June 2019 . 12 June 2016.
  6. Book: Weinstein, Deena. Rock'n America: A Social and Cultural History. 2015. University of Toronto Press. 978-1-4426-0018-8. 112.
  7. Web site: Collins . Pat . Essay: A 1960's hit still carries a message . Newsday.com.
  8. Web site: Dowling . Stephen . Clapton's guitar 'genius' legacy . BBC . 21 June 2019 . 29 March 2005.
  9. Book: Guralnick, Peter. Rock and Roll is Here to Stay: An Anthology. 2000. Norton. 978-0-393-04700-4. 213.
  10. Clapton Documentary (1987). South Bank Show. ITV.
  11. Book: Molenda. Michael. Molenda. Mike. The Guitar Player Book: 40 Years of Interviews, Gear, and Lessons from the World's Most Celebrated Guitar Magazine. 2007. Backbeat Books. 978-0-87930-782-0. 37.
  12. Book: Lambert. Philip. Good Vibrations: Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in Critical Perspective. 2016. University of Michigan Press. 978-0-472-11995-0. 20–21.