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[A Friend of Charlie]

Connections
Puzzle #658
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[razgueado]

All 4 #1 seeds make the Final Four in the men's bracket. Yawn.

Cinderella stayed home this year.

[razgueado]

Todays Over/Under is 15

I'm going to say it. With all due respect to Hendrix, Beck, and Van Halen, Eric Clapton is the most influential guitarist ever, if for no other reason than sheer longevity.

I wouldn't disagree with that.

I mean, the man had at least five phases to his career:  The Slowhand era with the Yardbirds, the Bluesbreaker era, the Cream era, the Dominoes/Tulsa era, and his solo career.  In each of those he is a different player.  He is the only outsider to put a guitar solo on a Beatles record.  He was Van Halen's primary influence.  Nobody has done more to keep the Blues in the cultural spotlight.  He was the guy that popularized the now-classic sound of a Gibson Les Paul plugged into a Marshall amp. 

Hendrix, Beck, and Van Halen were flashier. They were more innovative.  Jimmy Page was heavier.   But all of them built on formulas he created.

[A Friend of Charlie]

One extra, which was part of the Spangram.

Strands #392
“Join the chorus”
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[A Friend of Charlie]

Todays Birthdays

Those born on this date are under the sign of Aries. They include:

artist Francisco Jose de Goya in 1746;
chemist Robert Bunsen in 1811;
writer Anna Sewell in 1820;
Civil War spy Mary Elizabeth Bowser in 1839;
social reformer Charles Booth in 1840;
artist Vincent van Gogh in 1853;
writer Sean O'Casey in 1880;
philanthropist Brooke Astor in 1902;
musician Frankie Laine in 1913;
TV personality Peter Marshall in 1926;
actor Richard Dysart in 1929;
actor John Astin in 1930 (age 95);
actor Warren Beatty in 1937 (age 88);
Basketball Hall of Fame member Jerry Lucas in 1940 (age 85);
musician Graeme Edge (Moody Blues) in 1941;
musician Eric Clapton (Cream) in 1945 (age 80);
actor Robbie Coltrane in 1950;
actor Paul Reiser in 1957 (age 68);
musician MC Hammer in 1962 (age 63);
musician Tracy Chapman in 1964 (age 61);
actor Ian Ziering in 1964 (age 61);
TV commentator Piers Morgan in 1965 (age 60);
singer Celine Dion in 1968 (age 57);
actor Mark Consuelos in 1971 (age 54);
musician Norah Jones in 1979 (age 46);
actor Fiona Gubelmann in 1980 (age 45);
actor Katy Mixon in 1981 (age 44);
musician Justin Moore in 1984 (age 41);
actor Tessa Ferrer in 1986 (age 39);
musician Jordan Davis in 1988 (age 37);
musician Thomas Rhett in 1990 (age 35);
musician Anitta in 1993 (age 32);
actor Simone Ashley in 1995 (age 30);
actor Gideon Adlon in 1997 (age 28).

Todays Over/Under is 15

13!