Who Was Eric Clapton’s Best Friend? A Story of Music, Brotherhood, and Heartache

I’ll never forget the first time I really felt Eric Clapton’s music. Sure, I had heard "Layla" before, but it wasn't until I was sitting in a dimly lit bar with a buddy, debating the greatest guitarists of all time, that it truly hit me. The rawness, the pain in his playing—it was different. And when you start to dig into his life, you realize that behind all that brilliance, behind every note of heartbreak, there was often a friend, a brother in music, standing beside him.

But if you ask me who Eric Clapton’s best friend was, there’s no easy answer. Maybe it was George Harrison, his legendary musical rival-turned-brother. Maybe it was Steve Winwood, his creative soulmate. Or maybe it was the one who left the biggest scar, Jimi Hendrix. Let’s talk about it.

The Deepest Bond: Clapton and George Harrison

If we’re talking about pure longevity, shared experiences, and musical intertwining, then George Harrison was Clapton’s closest friend. They weren’t just two rock legends; they were brothers in the truest sense. They jammed together, pushed each other musically, and even, in one of the most complicated love triangles in rock history, fell for the same woman—Pattie Boyd.

I remember discussing this with a hardcore Beatles fan once, over a couple of beers. “How the hell do you stay best friends with a guy who marries your ex-wife?” he asked, shaking his head. And honestly, that’s what makes their friendship legendary. Not only did Clapton write "Layla" about Pattie while she was still with Harrison, but George—being George—handled it with an almost Zen-like grace. Even after Boyd left him for Clapton, the two men remained close. Clapton was there for Harrison during his final days, playing at his tribute concert in 2002, and you could see it—he wasn’t just honoring a bandmate; he was mourning a brother.

The Tragic Bond: Clapton and Jimi Hendrix

Then there’s Jimi Hendrix. If George was Clapton’s long-lost brother, Hendrix was his fiercest rival and the friend who left too soon. Clapton once said he was both in awe of and terrified of Hendrix. And who wouldn’t be? When Jimi exploded onto the London scene in 1966, Clapton—already a god in his own right—felt the ground shift beneath him.

There’s a story, one I love telling, about the night Hendrix first played in London. He got onstage with Cream at a small club, uninvited, plugged in, and just tore it up. Clapton, the so-called "God" of the guitar, was left speechless. "You never told me he was that good," Clapton supposedly told Chas Chandler, Hendrix’s manager, after the show.

But their friendship wasn’t just built on competition. Clapton deeply admired Hendrix and even planned to gift him a guitar—a left-handed Strat—on the night he died in 1970. But Hendrix never showed up. That regret, that what-if, must have haunted Clapton for years.

The Creative Soulmate: Clapton and Steve Winwood

Now, if we’re talking pure musical chemistry, Steve Winwood might have been Clapton’s truest creative soulmate. Blind Faith, their short-lived supergroup, lasted barely a year, but their musical connection never faded. They kept coming back to each other—whether in jam sessions, collaborations, or the Live From Madison Square Garden concert in 2009 that felt like two old friends picking up where they left off.

I remember watching that show and thinking, this is what true friendship sounds like. The way they played off each other, the way their voices and instruments melted together—it wasn’t just nostalgia, it was something deeper. A musical conversation that had been happening for decades.

So, Who Was Clapton’s Best Friend?

Ask ten Clapton fans, and you’ll get ten different answers. Some say it was George Harrison, for the sheer depth of their bond. Others say it was Hendrix, for the unfulfilled potential of their friendship. Winwood? Maybe the one who truly understood Clapton musically.

Or maybe, just maybe, his best friend was the blues itself—the one constant in his life, the thing that never left, the sound that carried him through loss, addiction, heartbreak, and redemption.

But that’s the beauty of Eric Clapton’s story. His life, like his music, is full of layers, of friendships that were as complicated as they were beautiful. And whether you’re a lifelong fan or just someone who’s heard "Tears in Heaven" and felt something stir in your chest, one thing’s for sure—his friendships shaped his music, and in turn, shaped us all.

So what do you think? Who was Clapton’s true best friend? I’d love to hear your take—maybe over a drink, where all the best stories get told.

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How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

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Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

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Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

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Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

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Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.