“He was standing two feet from me. When he was done, he said, ‘Well, what do you think?’ And I said, ‘I want to cry’”: How this bluesman linked up with Eric Clapton – and got him to play a solo on his album

Stephen Dale Petit and Eric Clapton.

Recent years have been challenging for blues guitarist Stephen Dale Petit, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and with a broken heart, romantically. But in 2025, he's standing tall once more with his new album, Be The Love, which features an “insane” guest solo from none other than Eric Clapton.

Previously speaking to Guitar Player, he's discussed the surreal nature of befriending his hero, admitting that “any preconceived notions I had of what he was like went out the window pretty early.” Their budding relationship led to him coaxing Slowhand onto his latest album, but he had to be patient for the magic moment to happen.