Complete List Of Blind Faith Band Members

Feature Photo: Island Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Blind Faith emerged in early 1969 as a partnership between four accomplished musicians who had already established themselves in prominent rock groups. The band consisted of Eric Clapton on lead guitar and vocals, Steve Winwood on lead vocals, keyboards, and lead guitar, Ginger Baker on drums and percussion, and Ric Grech on bass guitar and violin. The formation was announced to the press on February 8, 1969, and the group began recording their material shortly thereafter.

The band released one studio album, their self-titled debut Blind Faith, in July 1969. The album reached number one on both the UK charts and Billboard’s Pop Album chart in the United States, selling more than half a million copies in its first month of release. Despite this commercial success, the group performed together for only a few months before disbanding. Their live performances included a free concert at Hyde Park in London on June 7, 1969, which drew an estimated 100,000 attendees, followed by a tour of Scandinavia and the United States that concluded in Hawaii on August 24, 1969.

The group officially announced their disbandment in October 1969, making Blind Faith one of the shortest-lived supergroups in rock history. In 2000, the album was remastered and reissued as a two-disc deluxe edition that included alternate takes, outtakes, and studio rehearsals from the recording sessions. A live album titled London Hyde Park 1969 was released in 2005, documenting their debut concert performance. The band produced only one official single during their active period, “Well All Right” backed with “Can’t Find My Way Home,” which was released in 1969.

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton joined Blind Faith at its inception in early 1969 following the dissolution of Cream in November 1968. He served as the group’s lead guitarist and provided vocals throughout the band’s brief six-month existence, from formation through their final performance in Hawaii on August 24, 1969. Clapton left the group in August 1969 after mutually deciding with Steve Winwood to end the project. He played on the band’s only studio album, Blind Faith, where he contributed lead guitar work and vocals on tracks including “Presence of the Lord,” a song he wrote and sang. His guitar work on the album showcased a more restrained approach compared to his previous work with Cream, focusing on melodic solos and structured compositions rather than extended improvisation.

Before Blind Faith, Clapton had gained international recognition as a member of the Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and Cream, the latter of which achieved major commercial success with millions of record sales. During Cream’s existence from 1966 to 1968, he earned the nickname “Slowhand” and established himself as one of the most respected guitarists of his generation. Prior to forming Blind Faith, he had also participated in the Powerhouse project and performed with the Spencer Davis Group at the Marquee club in London.

Following Blind Faith’s disbandment, Clapton performed with the Plastic Ono Band and toured as a sideman with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. He then formed Derek and the Dominos in 1970, which produced the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. His solo career began in earnest in the 1970s and continued for decades, yielding numerous hit albums and singles including “Wonderful Tonight,” “Tears in Heaven,” and “Change the World.” He has performed Blind Faith songs throughout his solo career, particularly “Presence of the Lord” and “Can’t Find My Way Home.” Clapton reunited with Winwood for performances at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007, followed by three concerts at Madison Square Garden in February 2008, a 14-date summer tour in 2009, and five concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011. He participated in a tribute concert for Ginger Baker at the Eventim Apollo in February 2020.

Steve Winwood

Steve Winwood joined Blind Faith in early 1969 when he began informal jam sessions with Eric Clapton following Traffic’s hiatus in Christmas 1968. He remained with the group from its formation through its dissolution in August 1969, serving as lead vocalist, keyboardist, and lead guitarist for approximately six months. Winwood was instrumental in persuading Clapton to include Ginger Baker in the lineup, arguing that Baker’s drumming strengthened their musicianship. He played on the band’s sole studio album, Blind Faith, where he sang lead vocals on songs including “Can’t Find My Way Home,” which he wrote, and “Presence of the Lord.” His keyboard work and vocal arrangements provided much of the album’s melodic foundation, and he took on a more prominent role in the band during their tour when Clapton began spending more time with the opening act Delaney and Bonnie.

Prior to Blind Faith, Winwood had been the lead singer for the Spencer Davis Group for three years, where he achieved commercial success before leaving due to musical differences. He formed Traffic in 1967, seeking to incorporate jazz elements into rock music. Traffic was on hiatus when he began collaborating with Clapton, and he had to inform his bandmates Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi that Traffic would be put on hold once Blind Faith was formed. His experience in the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic had already established him as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist before he turned 21 years old.

After Blind Faith ended, Winwood initially participated in Ginger Baker’s Air Force but left after a few performances to work on what became the Traffic album John Barleycorn Must Die, which was released in 1970. He continued with Traffic through the early 1970s, recording albums including The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Welcome to the Canteen. He launched a successful solo career that included hit albums such as Arc of a Diver and Back in the High Life, with singles like “Higher Love” and “Roll with It” achieving significant chart success in the 1980s. His retrospective album The Finer Things, released in 1995, included several tracks from Blind Faith. Winwood has reunited with Clapton on multiple occasions, performing at the ARMS benefit tour in 1983, the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007, Madison Square Garden concerts in 2008, a United States tour in 2009, Royal Albert Hall performances in 2011, and a tribute concert for Ginger Baker in 2020. He remains one of the two surviving members of Blind Faith.

Ginger Baker

Ginger Baker joined Blind Faith in early 1969 after arriving at the rehearsal cottage in Aston Tirrold, Berkshire, where Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood were jamming. He remained with the band from its formation through August 1969, serving as the group’s drummer and percussionist for approximately six months. Baker left the group after Clapton and Winwood decided to disband following their final performance in Hawaii on August 24, 1969, though he was not immediately informed of the decision and only learned about the disbandment after returning to England from a holiday in Jamaica. He played on the band’s only studio album, Blind Faith, providing drums and percussion throughout the recording. His drumming style brought complexity and rhythmic drive to tracks on the album, and he provided showmanship and theatrics during the band’s live performances, particularly at their Hyde Park concert where he was the most visually engaging performer on stage.

Before joining Blind Faith, Baker had achieved international success as the drummer for Cream from 1966 to 1968, where he formed one of rock music’s most celebrated rhythm sections alongside bassist Jack Bruce. His work with Cream had established him as one of the most innovative drummers in rock music, known for his jazz-influenced approach and lengthy drum solos. However, Cream disbanded in November 1968 due to frequent conflicts between Baker and Bruce, with the group’s final concerts taking place at the Royal Albert Hall. Baker’s inclusion in Blind Faith caused some concern for Clapton, who had promised Bruce that if they were to work together again, all three Cream members would participate.

Following Blind Faith’s dissolution, Baker formed Ginger Baker’s Air Force, which included both Ric Grech and Steve Winwood for its initial performances. After Winwood departed, Baker continued with Air Force and pursued various musical projects throughout the 1970s and beyond. He played with numerous groups and musicians over the following decades, including his work with Fela Kuti in Nigeria, where he explored African rhythms and established a recording studio. Baker continued performing and recording until late in his life, maintaining his reputation as an innovative and influential drummer. He passed away on October 6, 2019, at the age of 80, leaving Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton as the only surviving members of Blind Faith. His death was commemorated with a tribute concert at the Eventim Apollo in February 2020, where Clapton and Winwood performed Blind Faith material in his honor.

Ric Grech

Ric Grech joined Blind Faith in May 1969 as the fourth and final member of the group, having been invited from the band Family where he had been serving as bassist. He remained with Blind Faith from May through August 1969, playing bass guitar and violin for approximately three months until the band’s dissolution. Grech left Family midway through their United States tour to join Blind Faith, which created considerable tension and conflict with his former bandmates. He played on the band’s only studio album, Blind Faith, contributing bass guitar and violin parts throughout the recording. His bass work provided the foundational low-end support for the group’s sound, while his violin added textural variety to certain compositions on the album.

Prior to joining Blind Faith, Grech had established himself as a member of Family, a progressive rock band that had gained recognition in the British rock scene. His work with Family had showcased his abilities as both a bassist and violinist, making him an attractive choice for a group seeking a multi-instrumentalist who could complement Winwood’s keyboard and guitar work alongside Clapton’s guitar playing. His departure from Family was abrupt and occurred during an active tour, highlighting the urgency and appeal of the Blind Faith opportunity.

After Blind Faith disbanded in August 1969, Grech joined Ginger Baker’s Air Force alongside Baker and initially with Steve Winwood. Following his time with Air Force, he became a member of Traffic’s touring band and played on the Traffic albums The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Welcome to the Canteen in the early 1970s. Throughout the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s, he participated in various musical projects and bands, working with different artists in the rock and progressive rock genres. Grech passed away in 1990, making him the first member of Blind Faith to die. His contributions to the band’s sound, though brief, were documented on their studio album and live recordings from the 1969 tour.

Check out more Blind Faith articles on ClassicRockHistory.com Just click on any of the links below……

Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business, or organization is allowed to re-publish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission. All photos used are either public domain Creative Commons photos or licensed officially from Shutterstock under license with ClassicRockHistory.com. All photo credits have been placed at the end of the article. Album Cover Photos are affiliate links and the property of Amazon and are stored on the Amazon server. Any theft of our content will be met with swift legal action against the infringing websites.