"I Shot The Sheriff" was written and originally recorded by Bob Marley in 1973. Clapton heard it when a member of his band played the Bob Marley album for him and convinced him to record it.
Eric Clapton was part of the seminal bands Cream, Blind Faith, The Yardbirds and Derek & The Dominos. He also had a very successful solo career, but his only #1 on the Hot 100, either with a band or solo, was his cover of "I Shot The Sheriff." He came close in 1992 with "Tears In Heaven," which reached #2.
Clapton didn't want to use this on the album because he thought it might seem disrespectful to Marley. Members of his band and management convinced him that it should not only go on the album, but also be released as a single.
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