Even guitar gods have idols, and for Eddie Van Halen, few loomed larger than Eric Clapton. The British blues icon was Eddie’s first musical hero, the player whose fiery tone and melodic phrasing ignited his obsession with the guitar. But years after studying Clapton’s solos note-for-note as a teenager, Eddie found himself in the awkward position of having to call out his hero for copying him, not once, but twice.
It was a surreal full-circle moment for one of rock’s greatest innovators: the student realizing that the master had borrowed from him.
From Superfan To Peer
Eddie’s admiration for Clapton ran deep. Long before Eruption changed the face of guitar music, the young Van Halen spent countless hours trying to decode Cream songs.
“Clapton was my main influence,” Eddie once told Guitar World. “I learned every solo he ever played with Cream, ‘Crossroads,’ ‘Spoonful,’ everything. I played along to those records until the grooves were worn out.”
By the late ’70s, however, Eddie had become a household name in his own right. His explosive tapping style, innovative tone, and fearless musicianship had redefined what the electric guitar could do. Suddenly, his childhood heroes were now his peers, and even they were taking notice of him.
The First Time Clapton Borrowed From Eddie
According to Eddie, the first incident happened not long after Van Halen’s debut album made waves in 1978. The record’s centerpiece, the two-handed tapping showcase “Eruption”, had stunned the guitar world and inspired a generation of players overnight.
Among those influenced, Eddie later revealed, was none other than Eric Clapton himself.
“I remember hearing him play this solo and thinking, ‘Wait a second, that’s my lick,’” Eddie said with a laugh in an interview years later. “It blew my mind because this was Clapton, the guy I learned everything from. And here he was, using something I came up with.”
Eddie reportedly didn’t take offense at first. To him, it was flattering. His hero had acknowledged, in music, at least, that the new kid from Pasadena had brought something fresh to the instrument.
The Second Time, Eddie Had To Say Something
But when a similar thing happened again a few years later, Eddie couldn’t resist addressing it directly. During a backstage meeting at a festival, the two finally crossed paths, and Eddie decided to speak up.
“I went up to him and said, ‘Hey man, I think you might’ve borrowed one of my parts again!’” Eddie recalled. “He just smiled that Clapton smile and said, ‘Oh, did I?’”
Eddie emphasized that it was all good-natured, more of a mutual musician’s moment than a confrontation. Still, it underscored just how much his playing had reshaped the guitar landscape, even for players who once seemed untouchable.
“It wasn’t about ego,” Eddie explained. “It was more like, ‘Wow, the guy I worshipped growing up is now being inspired by me.’ That’s the highest compliment I could ever get.”
Respect Between Legends
Despite those two moments of musical déjà vu, Eddie’s admiration for Clapton never faded. In fact, he continued to credit Clapton as the reason he became a guitarist in the first place.
“Without Eric Clapton, there would be no Eddie Van Halen,” he once said. “He taught me how to make the guitar sing. Everything I did after that was just me trying to find my own way to do the same thing.”
For fans, the story perfectly captures Eddie’s dual legacy, the humble student and the fearless innovator. He began by imitating his heroes, then became one of their influences.
Full Circle
In the end, Eddie Van Halen’s confrontation with Clapton wasn’t about rivalry, it was about evolution. It showed that even the greatest players continue to learn from each other, passing the torch in unexpected ways.
“When your hero takes something from you,” Eddie once said, “that’s when you know you’ve done something right.”
And he did twice.
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