Clapton was great...WAS....it seems to me he only reached great heights when he was pushed by a formidable partner in his own band...Cream (Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker), Bluesbreaker days (John Mayall) etc. In a way, Paul McCartney was the same: he needed Lennon. As for BLUES, I vote 4 Buddy Guy, BB King, SVR, Kelly Joe Phelps, Jimmy D. Lane, and among the young guys Derek Trucks and the lead guitarist of Indigenous (forgot his name...Manny something?