Whose lead guitar is featured on While My Guitar Gently Weeps?

Eric Clapton plays the featured lead guitar on The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” George Harrison wrote the song and initially recorded it with a sparse arrangement, but he felt the Beatles were not giving the composition enough attention. He invited Clapton, his friend and occasional musical collaborator, to add an electric-guitar part.

Clapton overdubbed the lead guitar in September 1968 using Harrison’s Gibson Les Paul, nicknamed “Lucy.” He was initially reluctant because outside musicians rarely appeared on Beatles recordings, but Harrison persuaded him. Clapton later asked for the guitar sound to be made more “Beatley” during mixing, helping the contribution fit the band’s style.

The song was released on The Beatles, the 1968 double album commonly called the White Album. Clapton was not formally credited on the original record, which sometimes causes confusion about who is playing. The performance became one of rock’s best-known guest-guitar appearances. Harrison and Clapton later performed the song together at the Concert for Bangladesh and on Harrison’s 1991 tour of Japan.