genesis behind rock against racism is really simple thing it was an outburst by the guitar god eric clapton who made a completely racist outburst supporting a not powered concert in birmingham it was reported in the music press i was an old eric clapton fan i had all these records and everything and i was outraged because that music is based on black music so i wrote a letter i wrote a letter proposing that we start a campaign against racism in music to bring black and white musicians together called rock against racism and that was in the new musical expression which was able of of music i'm going to make and sounds and black echoes and the left press so out it that was it if there were this mass movement started with a letter a letter and i thought i really thought not much about it i mean i was angry so i wrote the letter and it was done i don't write letters very often you know and i didn't really think about it much and somebody called me up a result friend of mine who's a journalist and he called up and said oh he'd organized a p.o. box to replies to be addressed to he said there's 40

not only did you get george harrison, you got eric clapton. >> it got dylan out of hiding. the stage again. it was unparalleled at the time and may still be unparalleled. ♪ >> a great deal of music of the '70s was people who had succeeded in the '60s, finding new ways to express themselves in the '70s. >> have you any idea why your group particularly has lasted as long as it had? >> because we stay together i suppose. >> for a few years, the rolling stones had taken a lot of casualties. >> even brian felt he wasn't going to be around that long. not everybody makes it. >> they were fighting for like where do we secure our foothold now? ♪ >> 1971, the rolling stones leave their home for tax purposes to go live in france. and record this record, "exile on main street." in a very hot, uncomfortable, muddy sounding studio. ♪ baby, i can't stay yu got to roll me ♪ ♪ and call me the tumbling dice ♪ >> that record is the embodiment of a band making masterpieces on a daily basis. and i remember reading the review saying this is like a debauched album. i didn't know what debauched me

he's played the white house, even toured with the rolling stones and eric clapton, who by the way saida flow like mine? >> reporter: uh-huh. >> that's what he said? >> reporter: he said "i haven't seen someone like that since jimi." >> oh, damn. pressure. >> reporter: jimi, as in hendrix. and it turns out this 35-year-old is still allowing comparisons like that to sink in, as he told us when we sat down with him on his ranch in texas. >> it doesn't really resonate until i'm at home and i go wow, this is real, you know what i mean? all those dreams and hopes and aspirations i had as a kid and i thought were silly and i was scared to share with people because they might think that i. >> reporter: gary clark jr. is from austin, texas. the son of gary clark sr., a car salesman and his wife sandy, an accountant. mom still does his books and says her son's life changed forever at age 12. >> he got the guitar for christmas, and then checked out a couple of books and was just totally self-taught. >> you know, he is upstairs in his room playing and still is. come here, come listen to this. got

he's playing the, he's played the white house, even toured with the rolling stones and eric clapton. like mine? >> uh-huh. he. >> that's what he says. >> he said i haven't seen anybody like that since jimi. >> damn. pressure. >> jimi, as in hendrix, and it turns out this 35-year-old is still allowing comparisons like that to sink in. as he told us, when we sat down with him on his ranch in texas. >> texas. >> it doesn't really resonate until i am at home, and i am going wow, this is real. you know what i mean? like all those dreams and hopes and aspirations i had had as a kid and i thought were silly and i was scared to share with people because they might think that i'm, you know, out of my mind? >> reporter: gary clark, jr. is from austin, texas, the son of gary clark, sr., a car salesman and his wife sandi, an accountant. mom still does his books and says her son's life changed prefer at age 12. >> he got the guitar for christmas and then checked out a couple of books and was just totally self-taught. >> he was upstairs in his room playing and i told her, i said come here, come li