Cale may not have been a household name on par with the many famous musicians he performed with, and wrote for, over the years, but his blues-drenched influence on the classic rock of the 1970s is as undeniable as it is indelible. Early in his career, Cale toured with the Grand Ole Opry road company before heading west to Los Angeles, where he recorded his song “After Midnight.” It was merely a B-side at the time, but years later Eric Clapton would turn the song into his first solo hit. Clapton also later covered Cale’s doom-soaked ode to — or cautionary tale about — the ’70s drug of choice, “Cocaine”. Decades later, in 2007, the Cale and Clapton team would win a Grammy for their collaboration on The Road to Escondido.