Take a look at that “Greatest Of All Time Guitarists” list again, and you’re going to see Eric Clapton. He’s also going to be near the top A LOT. He’s also going to be found on lists of best musicians overall, too. This English master of rock and blues jumped between a number of different bands before landing with the Yardbirds in 1963, though he left just a few years later.
He then joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. After Mayall, Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker, and bassist Jack Bruce formed what is widely regarded as the first supergroup, Cream.
Courtney Love of Hole
Formed in 1989, Hole was Courtney Love’s path to stardom. While her performances, as well as the lyrics she both wrote and sang, turned her into a highly-discussed figure, it was her relationship with fellow musician Kurt Cobain that really made her part of the rumor mill.
The relationship drew plenty of public attention, and it only got worse after the end of Cobain’s life. In 1994 it seemed like Love was starting to spiral out of control. At one show, she even halted her singing and started to cry about her lost relationship with Cobain.
Courtney Love Today
After a tiring series of legal and abuse issues, Love was court-ordered to attend rehab in 2005. She was able to clean up her act and get the help she needed and made a return to music, having written a number of songs while she was in rehab. Between the years 2012 and 2014, she performed again, even completing a solo tour of the US in mid-2013.
Love has spread herself out a little bit, taking up several different ventures. She's developed her own fashion line and even picked up some acting roles. Neither of those activities is very out-of-left-field for someone who was in music; she is a performer, after all. After Love cleaned herself up, she was able to reunite with her estranged daughter, Frances Bean.
Eric Clapton Today
Due to tensions between Bruce and Baker, Cream didn't last all that long, disbanding in 1968, only two years after its formation. Clapton went on to produce a successful solo career, selling more than a hundred million records and becoming one of the best-selling musicians around the world.
He's garnered plenty of acclaim for his work, too, earning eighteen Grammy Awards. He won a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Even though he's into his seventies now, Clapton isn't ready to hang it up just yet and has plans to go on tour in Europe in 2021.
Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin
With the combination of a powerful voice and electrifying stage presence, Robert Plant became a rocker that every self-respecting fan of music needed to see live at least once. He got his start in professional music back in 1968 when he became the lead singer of Led Zeppelin.
After working his way into Jimmy Page's good graces, Plant began to write songs for the band, including hits such as “Immigrant Song,” “Thank You,” and “The Rain Song.” Plant enjoyed success with the band from his time joining until 1980, when Led Zeppelin disbanded following drummer John Bonham's death.