Uncle Ted has been influenced by James Brown and Wayne Cochran when it comes to groove. Besides, he took inspiration from artists such as Chuck Berry, Lonnie Mack, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, and Coltrane, whom he has praised for their work ethic. However, there was one band that Nugent claimed he would die for.
On March 07, 2012, Ted Nugent spoke to Music Radar to reveal his top 10 guitarists of all time. Among others he mentioned, like Eddie Van Halen, Billy Gibbons, Rick Derringer, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, and Lonnie Mack, Nugent picked Eric Clapton as his favorite.
It wasn’t a surprise that Nugent chose Eric Clapton since Clapton is one of the most influential and talented guitarists in the scene. Apart from being a successful solo artist, Clapton also played in the Yardbirds, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith. As it seems, Nugent was a huge fan of Cream.
Speaking to Music Radar, Uncle Ted said that it amazes him how Clapton had so much soul and musical discipline as a young white guy. He then praised the guitarist’s talent for blending outrageous and melodic guitar playing with a hard-driving and bluesy sound. After that, Nugent also went on to say that Cream is a band that is to die for.