OTD: Eric Clapton Leaves the Yardbirds, Leaving the Door Open for Jeff Beck

On March 13, 1965, Eric Clapton made one of the most famous decisions in classic rock history: to leave The Yardbirds. He felt the group was leaving their blues roots behind. Clapton didn’t want to be in a pop band.

Eric Clapton with The Yardbirds in a field in 1965.
Eric Clapton and The Yardbirds | GAB Archive/ Getty Images

Eric Clapton left The Yardbirds on March 13, 1965

Clapton was only 18 years old when he joined The Yardbirds in 1963. The group had just become the house band for London’s Crawdaddy Club. Clapton’s heart was in the blues. In George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Clapton said he was a sort of blues missionary at the time.

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