Cream – Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton formed the first super-group in 1966. Cream was the first group of soloists thanks to Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker’s virtuoso performances. Their two-year career brought the blues to a whole new generation of white rockers. They also spawned legions power trios, boogie groups and heavy metal bands. Dave Marsh, a rock critic, said that Cream was the “fastest, loudest and most powerful blues-based rock ever recorded.” They also created the first ever certified platinum album (for Wheels of Fire), played to standing-room only audiences in Europe and North America, and redefined the role of the instrumentalist in rock. The trio is often called the “first supergroup.” Eric Clapton’s passion for guitar and Ginger Baker’s intense intensity helped to create the tradition of the rock drum solo. Jack Bruce was the first bassist to bring a jazz-inspired sound to hard rock. Born March 1945, Eric Clapton was inspired first by Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, then later by Jerry Lee Lewis. He went from a small-town Ripley to London quickly, switching from a plastic guitar to one that was real. He spent his time in the Roosters’ and Casey Jones’ British blues scene.
