# In 1966, Eric Clapton left John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. They replaced him with a guitarist who was even “better”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1966-eric-clapton-left-john-mayall-and-the-bluesbreakers-they-replaced-him-with-a-guitarist-who-was-even-better/
- Published: 2026-10-30T15:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T15:34:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1966-eric-clapton-left-john-mayall-and-the-bluesbreakers/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Peter Green replaced Eric Clapton in the Bluesbreakers in 1966.
- John Mayall said Green’s playing justified his confidence.
- Green later led an early Fleetwood Mac, but his career was cut short.

## Summary

When Eric Clapton left John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1966, Peter Green took his place after a short search for a guitarist. Mayall later recalled that Green had boldly claimed he was better than the other candidates, and that hearing him play convinced Mayall he was right.

The article presents the Bluesbreakers as a training ground for musicians including Clapton, Green, Mick Taylor, Jack Bruce, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. Green went on to lead an early Fleetwood Mac, but his career was disrupted after an LSD experience from which he did not recover, leaving his influence alongside a sense of unrealised potential.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.