In 1966, Eric Clapton left John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. They replaced him with a guitarist who was even “better”
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.
In short
- 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.
Explained simply
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers were a British blues band led by singer and guitarist John Mayall. In the 1960s, several musicians who later became well known passed through the group, including Eric Clapton and Peter Green.
Green replaced Clapton in 1966 and later became the leading guitarist in an early line-up of Fleetwood Mac. His career was interrupted by serious mental health problems after an LSD experience, and he eventually left the band.
The story matters because the Bluesbreakers helped shape the careers of musicians who went on to form or join major British rock bands. Green’s time with Fleetwood Mac left a lasting mark, while his later difficulties limited how much more music he made.