“I Shot The Sherriff” by Eric Clapton was my first rock & roll record. The first record I ever owned. I was 5 or 6 years old. It happened when Mom let me pick out a record at the store. I don’t even think it was a record store. I was 5 or 6 years old. At the time I had no idea who Eric Clapton was and I certainly did not know who Bob Marley was either. This song was one that I was familiar with from the radio in Mom’s car. Clapton’s version of the Bob Marley song was a #1 hit in 1974 and still all over the radio a year or two later when I chose it to be my first rock & roll record.

This record ended up being quite a prolific choice. It is a rock legend covering the king of reggae. It’s a number one hit. Over time, this record turned out to be merely the first purchase of thousands made over the last 40 years. Even after all this time, I can say with confidence that my first was certainly not my worst.

What was your first rock & roll record?