Clapton is God

"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.

The original photograph of the Islington graffiti. It received worldwide recognition and helped create a myth around Eric Clapton.[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.[2][3] Commentators traced the year of origin variously to 1965,[3] early 1966,[4] and 1967.[2] 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]

References
  1. Gulla, Bob (2009). Guitar Gods: The 25 Players who Made Rock History. ABC-CLIO. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-313-35806-7.
  2. Norman, Philip (30 June 2020). "Why Eric Clapton is still God". GQ.
  3. "Clapton Biography Portrays a Restless Rocker Forever Bolting His Bands". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  4. Dobney, Jayson Kerr; Inciardi, Craig J.; DeCurtis, Anthony (2019). Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-58839-666-2.
  5. Hughes, Ruth (12 June 2016). "Rock legend Eric reveals: 'Clapton is God graffiti was a stunt'". Express. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  6. Weinstein, Deena (2015). Rock'n America: A Social and Cultural History. University of Toronto Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-4426-0018-8.
  7. Collins, Pat. "Essay: A 1960's hit still carries a message". Newsday.com.
  8. Dowling, Stephen (29 March 2005). "Clapton's guitar 'genius' legacy". BBC. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  9. Guralnick, Peter (2000). Rock and Roll is Here to Stay: An Anthology. Norton. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-393-04700-4.
  10. Clapton Documentary (1987). South Bank Show. ITV.
  11. Molenda, Michael; Molenda, Mike (2007). The Guitar Player Book: 40 Years of Interviews, Gear, and Lessons from the World's Most Celebrated Guitar Magazine. Backbeat Books. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-87930-782-0.
  12. Lambert, Philip, ed. (2016). Good Vibrations: Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in Critical Perspective. University of Michigan Press. pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-0-472-11995-0.


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