Eric Clapton is the only artist to date who’s been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three times — as a solo artist, and as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Despite that, he doesn’t think much of the institution.
In an interview with The Real Music Observer, Clapton reacted to the fact that guitarist J.J. Cale isn’t in the Rock Hall by launching into a diss of its existence.
“I came to that thing, whatever it is — I think of it as a frat boys club that happened to lure [me] in — I think the fact that they had [late Atlantic Records executive] Ahmet Ertegun was the ticket for me,” he said.
Clapton said he initially admired the fact that Ertegun, who was then chairman of the Hall, was attempting to get recognition for early artists like Ruth Brown and The Drifters “that were being forgotten.” But then, he added, “It just kind of started to snowball.”
Clapton noted he became “suspicious” of the Hall because Rolling Stone magazine was very involved with it and claimed it was his late friend Robbie Robertson who “persuaded” him to be a part of it as well. While Clapton did describe his reunion with Cream for their induction as “magic,” he now calls the Hall “a get-together … a schmooze.”
Clapton also complained, “The fact that someone like J.J. has never even been suggested is proof of what that thing is, or proof of what it isn’t … he’s too anonymous for those guys.”
When the fact that neither Paul Rodgers nor his band Bad Company are in the Hall was brought up, Clapton said, “He’s a rebel. It’s not a place for rebels. It’s establishment stuff.”
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